• To mark Mental Health Awareness Week 2026 BBC Children in Need launches powerful new campaign urging every adult to be someone children can talk to about mental health
• New research reveals the scale of the challenge: almost a quarter of children (24%*) say they regularly keep their worries to themselves, while two in five children (38%) say their worries have made life less enjoyable or caused them to stay silent out of fear or embarrassment. Nearly one in five children (19%*) also say they regularly feel the need to hide their true emotions – such as smiling when they feel sad or anxious – highlighting just how many young people are struggling quietly.
• For the first time in over 40 years, Pudsey is speaking — a landmark moment that reflects just how urgent this issue has become
• BBC Children in Need also announces £1.24m in new funding to support children’s mental health when it is needed most

Monday 11 May 2026 – To mark Mental Health Awareness Week 2026, BBC Children in Need is calling on adults across the UK to take responsibility for children’s mental health by checking in, listening and being someone young people feel safe talking to when it matters most.

Every three minutes, a child is referred to mental health services for anxiety in England[1]. Yet hundreds of thousands of children who need support face long waits, meaning help often comes too late. This reality makes early intervention – and the role of trusted adults in everyday life  – more critical than ever.

A new UK wide Censuswide online survey commissioned by BBC Children in Need of 2,500 parents[2] and 2,500 children[3] aged 10-14, reveals the scale of the challenge facing children today. Almost a quarter of children (24%*) surveyed say they regularly keep their worries to themselves because they don’t know who to talk to or find it hard to explain how they feel, while one in five (21%) haven’t been shown how to talk about mental health in a way that feels safe or supportive. These worries are taking a real toll, with over one in six (17%*) children saying their worries regularly affect their sleep or ability to focus at school. More than a third (38%) say their worries have made life less enjoyable or caused them to stay silent due to fear or embarrassment, and nearly a quarter (24%) say they are only sometimes listened to when they speak out about how they’re feeling.

Parents share these concerns. One in five (20%*) believe their child regularly keeps worries to themselves, while three quarters say they are worried about children relying on AI tools for mental health support.

That urgency is why, for the very first time, BBC Children in Need’s iconic mascot of more than 40 years is doing something he has never done before: Pudsey is speaking.

In a special new film, Pudsey Finds His Voice, Pudsey speaks out to deliver a simple but vital message: every child deserves an adult who will listen.

The 30 second film created by BBC Creative and Blinkink shows Pudsey in conversation with British child actor Dexter Sol Ansell, capturing the power and importance of conversation. Pudsey Finds His Voice will air across BBC television and radio from this evening, with an exclusive premiere on The One Show at 7pm.

BBC Children in Need’s research found that children who often have someone to talk to are around nine times more likely to say they feel happy than those who do not and so to help parents, carers and other trusted adults feel more confident starting these vital conversations BBC Children in Need has partnered with The Children’s Society to create practical guidance and tools, available via its dedicated mental health hub at bbc.co.uk/Pudsey.

Alongside this national call to action, the charity is also investing directly in early intervention when it matters most and today announces £1.24million in new funding for vital mental health support.  This includes a funding award of £745,000 to Mental Health Innovations – the charity behind Shout – to expand its free, confidential digital counselling service for 13–18 year olds, boosting volunteer capacity and upgrading technology so more young people can access fast, anonymous support when they need it most.

In addition, a further £500,000 has been awarded to The Children’s Society to continue support for the Space to Grow project, which delivers accessible 121, group and peer led support sessions in schools and local communities across the UK to improve children’s emotional wellbeing.

Both these awards are in addition to the £40m that BBC Children in Need is already investing in more than 700 projects across the UK supporting children with their mental health.

Claire Hoyle, Interim Chief Executive at BBC Children in Need, commented: “Our research makes clear that far too many children and young people are carrying their worries alone, and that silence can have serious consequences for their mental health.

“We know the difference one trusted adult can make. When a child feels heard, it can change everything – helping them cope earlier and stopping problems from becoming more serious.

“Pudsey has stood alongside children for over 40 years, and now, for the first time ever, he’s finding his voice. Pudsey is finding his voice because too many children feel they can’t share what they’re going through, and too many adults aren’t sure how to start that conversation. This campaign is a call to adults. It’s on all of us to create the moments, ask the questions, and really listen – so children feel safe to open up.”

Supportive resources to help parents, carers and other trusted adults have positive conversations about mental health with the children in their lives are available at bbc.co.uk/Pudsey.

~ENDS~

For more information, please contact [email protected] or [email protected]

Notes to Editors

• Censuswide survey findings: https://charts.censuswide.com/J17554CWMP/J17554CWMP_V2_VIbox.html

About BBC Children in Need:

• BBC Children in Need believe every child and young person deserves the opportunity to thrive and be the best they can be.
• BBC Children in Need’s ambition is to create lasting, positive change across the UK for the children and young people who need it most. Together with the BBC and partners, BBC Children in Need aim to inspire the nation in support of their work.
• BBC Children in Need’s 1,600 local charities and projects work tirelessly in every corner of the UK to help children & young people overcome the additional challenges they currently face, including supporting children and young people living in poverty, providing emergency support to families in crisis, providing comfort to children feeling sad, lost and alone, helping children overcome social injustice and supporting children to feel safe and secure again.
• Further information on BBC Children in Need can be found at bbcchildreninneed.co.uk

Further headlines:

• Over one in five (22%*) of children surveyed regularly feel anxious
• 18%* of children regularly feel worried about their future
• 11%* of children regularly feel lonely whilst 22%* regularly feel overwhelmed
• 17% of children who feel overwhelmed say they do not have someone other than a parent they trust to talk to when life feels overwhelming
• Over a quarter of children surveyed (26%) have used a chatbot or artificial intelligence (AI) tool to get help or advice when they were feeling worried or had a concern
• Children who keep their worries to themselves say they find it hard to speak out because they worry people won’t understand them (40%), don’t know how to explain their feelings (38%), fear upsetting (37%) or being judged by others (33%), or could even get them into trouble (27%). Sadly, 25% of them said they don’t speak out because they do not think it will make a difference.
• Children said it would be easier to talk about their feelings if they had someone who listens carefully (32%), knew adults wouldn’t be upset (30%), could speak to someone non‑judgmental (28%), felt it was okay to talk about big feelings (27%), and weren’t rushed when trying to talk (25%).
• 16%* of parents surveyed believe their child regularly feels they have to hide their true feelings when sad or anxious
• Over one in five parents (22%*) say their child regularly feels anxious in day‑to‑day life and regularly feels overwhelmed (24%*).
• One in five parents (20%*) believe their child regularly keeps their worries to themselves.
• Nearly one in six of parents (16%*) surveyed said their child’s worries regularly stop them from sleeping well or focusing on school, whilst 29% of parents said their child’s worries sometimes impacts them.
• Three quarters of parents (75%) are worried** about chatbots or AI being used as tools to children’s mental health with 20% saying they believe their child has used these tools to help or advice when they were feeling worried or had a concern, and 31% being unsure.

Additional quotes:

Steve Lownes & Aron Sidhu – Senior Creatives, BBC Creative

“Pudsey has been a symbol of Children in Need for over 40 years, but he’s never had a voice. With more and more children facing mental health challenges, we felt it was time for Pudsey to speak up, helping highlight just how important it is to talk to children about their worries.”

“To bring Pudsey to life, we used a plush bear with live-action puppetry, alongside subtle 2D animation to create his mouth movements. But it was the addition of his adorable Yorkshire accent that made him feel real. We searched through 137 different voices to find the right ageless, soft tone to fit Pudsey.”

Blinkink’s master puppeteers and filmmakers Jonny and Will

“The campaign is about children having someone to talk to, and the idea that they might have the same Pudsey teddy at home, felt like a nice way for them to feel close to the character, and give it a familiar, homely feel. We wanted the audience to feel as though Pudsey was an old friend, not a magical apparition. When he turns up, it’s like the child is having a heart to heart with a pal, able to wear their heart on their sleeve, and talk about their feelings. The message that every child deserves an adult who will listen was key, and hopefully the audience will take that away with them.”

“Finding Pudsey’s voice was definitely a challenge. Having never heard him speak before, we knew it was important to strike the right tone. A slight Yorkshire lilt was a lovely touch, and in the end we found a voice which had just the right elements we were looking for, as well as the perfect energy levels and eloquent delivery.”

Mark Russell, Chief Executive at The Children’s Society “Many children are struggling with their mental health long before anyone notices – especially if they feel they have no one to talk to. That’s why this campaign from BBC Children in Need really matters – helping adults step in sooner, listen more and make sure no child feels they have to cope alone.”

[1] https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/blog/childrens-commissioner-responds-to-new-figures-on-children-referred-to-mental-health-support-for-anxiety/

[2] Total sample size was 2,500 parents who have children aged 10-14. Fieldwork was undertaken between 23.03.26 – 31.03.26. The survey was carried out online. Censuswide abide by and employ members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles and are members of The British Polling Council.

[3] Total sample size was 2,500 children aged 10-14. Fieldwork was undertaken between 23.03.26 – 31.03.26. The survey was carried out online. Censuswide abide by and employ members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles and are members of The British Polling Council.

*Combining ‘always’ and ‘often’.

**Combining ‘very worried’, ‘quite worried’ and ‘a little worried’.