Toddler Treated For Peppa Pig Addiction

CHRISTMAS time is for so many young children, the most joyous time of the year, but for one Waterford child, they will be spending the coming weeks in rehab bravely battling a crippling addiction to Peppa Pig.

Popular children’s TV show Peppa Pig, or to give it its street name ‘Peppa’, has entranced a generation of young kids since it began in 2004, providing hours of endless entertainment. However, such entertainment is not without its tragedies as one 2-year-old boy learned this year.

Jack Thomond, a 27-month-old child from Ballybeg in Waterford, began watching Peppa and family do normal pig things like playing with friends and going for a swim.

“When the new episodes came back earlier this year I knew I was fucked,” a courageous Jack shared with WWN shortly before surrendering himself to the world’s first Infants With Addictions centre in LA.

“I couldn’t quit them, I’d watch the episode then demand Mammy rewind it to watch it again, when she said now I’d just flick over to the plus 1 channels an hour later,” Jack added, his chubby toddler arms gesticulating wildly, “I can’t quit Peppa, and I need help”.

Jack’s mother, Angela realised the severity of the problem when Jack sellotaped an iPad to his face so he could watch Peppa Pig 24/7. Knowing the clinic in LA was the only one able to help, the mother of three raised the €40,000 needed for the treatment.

“Little Jack has a long road ahead of him, but that road will be pig free one day. It has to be, we won’t lose hope,” Angela shared.

The toddler’s rehabilitation will take 8-weeks and at the treatment’s conclusion, it is hoped Jack will reduce his weekly consumption of Peppa from 82 hours down to a healthy zero.