Beano bosses have defended changes to character names after criticism from Piers Morgan during a TV rant.
Bash Street Kids characters Fatty and Spotty were renamed Freddy and Scotty in an effort to make them more representative.
The change was applied in 2021 – but has come to light as the Dundee-based comic celebrates its 85th birthday.
Other characters – Harsha, Mandi, Khadija, Mahira and Stevie Starr – have also been added to the group to promote diversity.
Speaking on his TalkTV show, Morgan branded the move a “woke transformation”.
Speaking directly to the camera, he said: “I used to love the Bash Street Kids and The Beano.
“Those mischievous little rogues in Britain’s best-loved comic book.
“They were always problematic, that’s why I liked them.
“They’ve entertained children for 67 years without complaint.”
"If we continue to rewrite every work of fiction based on today’s sensibilities, you’ll have to keep doing it every 10 years until you’re left with a sanitised slab of nonsense that bears zero resemblance to the original."@piersmorgan | @TalkTV | #PMU pic.twitter.com/pVNzUy5OrK
— Piers Morgan Uncensored (@PiersUncensored) July 25, 2023
Morgan also referred to Inclusive Minds – the consultancy firm behind the change, which also helped re-write Roald Dahl books – as the “fun police”.
He added: “If we continue to rewrite every work of fiction based on today’s sensibilities, you’ll have to keep doing it every 10 years until you’re left with a sanitised slab of nonsense that bears zero resemblance to the original.”
Earlier this week, The Courier’s columnist Kirsty Strickland defended the move.
She said: “Perhaps a sense of perspective is needed.
“Take a quick glance around the raging bonfire of the UK and you’ll find plenty of things that are actually worth getting angry about.”
Beano: Kids asked for name changes
A Beano spokesperson said: “Our character update to the Bash Street kids took place in 2021, where the originals were joined by five new pupils: Harsha, Mandi, Khadija, Mahira and Stevie Starr.
“Fatty and Spotty were also newly renamed as Freddy and Scotty – these name changes were done simply because kids asked us to.”
The commemorative 85th anniversary Beano issue went on sale on Wednesday, with guest appearances from celebrities such as Harry Styles and Adele.
