Anyone who remembers watching Saturday night TV in the 1990s will be familiar with Mr Blobby. The grinning, pink-coloured, yellow-spotted character brought anarchy to Noel's House Party before branching out to other shows - and even had his own hit single which was 1993's Christmas number one.
He isn't often seen these days though. Noel Edmonds' BBC One variety show was consigned to history in 2000, with their associated 'Crinkley Bottom' theme parks - where Blobby was a key attraction - a distant memory too.
So those feeling nostalgic - and with a decent amount of cash to spare - may be interested in getting their hands on an original Mr Blobby costume that is going for thousands on eBay. The Daily Star reports that the listing, by user blobby01, describes its condition as “used” and states the outfit is “an original BBC costume from the mid-1990s.”
It continues: “This was made by the BBC’s costume supplier for an overseas version of Noel’s House Party. Unfortunately before it could be delivered the overseas show was cancelled and neither the broadcaster or the BBC’s production team wanted it – so it sat in my office until a move meant it came home with me some years ago.
“This costume is made of foam rubber covered with a rubber-type material with a shoulder support. Consequently as it is now over 25 years old, there is the inevitable ageing to the foam and the rubberised coating. This means it is less suitable to be worn as the unit is not [as] supple as it was in 1996.”
The user added: “In addition the two arms require re-attaching to the body, one of the plastic eyes is cracked and the bow tie will need securing. Overall it’s not too bad for its age, but there is visible creasing and dust to the covering and some areas require a drop of glue to make good.”
The user warned that the costume can “only be for personal home display use” as Mr Blobby is trademarked, meaning it cannot be hired out or used for public performance. They also said: "Please note there is no voice speaker included in this sale - it is simply the costume only."
At the time of writing the bidding stood at £8,500 with five days to go. Mr Blobby was created by comedy writer Charlie Adams and portrayed by Barry Killerby until 2015, when Paul Denson took over the role of mascot.
Another original costume was auctioned off at Bonhams auction house in 2007. This was listed for £1,000-£1,500.
