04-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Bluey episode unexpectedly pulled from screens for 'tough' reason
One episode of Bluey has been causing a stir after it was completely removed from the network, ABC
An episode of Bluey has been unexpectedly pulled from screens for a "tough" reason.
The series, which has been a worldwide success, first ventured onto Australian screens in 2020. It follows a family of dogs and its main titular, Bluey Heeler, a young pup navigating life with her family—Dad Bandit, Mum Chilli, and younger sister Bingo.
After its success Down Under, the now children's favourite ventured over to the UK, where it is available to download on BBC iPlayer and Disney.
The friction over the episode in question follows a recent promotion between BBC Studios and Australian hardware store Bunnings, meaning that the decision was reached to remove one episode from the network as a result.
In the season 2 episode, Bluey's father, Bandit, hopes to build his own pizza oven and heads to a local hardware store to purchase supplies.
Bandit is shown in Hammerbarn fetching supplies. The issue was fuelled after Bunnings rolled out its own products connected with the show, including garden gnomes, rugs, hats, socks, and tote bags.
The store also hosts their very own Bluey-themed scavenger hunts and events associated with the programme.
Due to the advertising crossover, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation—a government-funded organisation—has had to disassociate itself from the episode. They operate under a strict rule of no advertising and taking part in commercial partnerships.
"This campaign is a BBC Studios and Bunnings partnership," stated an ABC representative to Channel Nine. They further added: "As the ABC cannot align with a commercial brand or partnership, the Bluey episode Hammerbarn will temporarily be unavailable on ABC iView while the Bunnings Hammerbarn campaign is live."
However, it's not all bad news for fans, as ABC confirmed that it would return that very episode to its network iView "at a later date".
A Bunnings spokesperson was also disappointed by the decision, with representative Melissa O'Neill telling Kidspot the company was disappointed by the outcome.
She said, "It's sad to think that they can't enjoy the episode. And particularly given Bluey fans can buy merchandise from a range of retailers and sites both in Australia and overseas."
The missing episode has caused great upset, with Kate McMahon, host of the Bluey podcast Gotta Be Done, stating it was "really tough".
She explained: "Hammerbarn is one of the most iconic Bluey episodes, and so to have it removed from the platform is a shame. A lot of parents rely on an episode of Bluey to get them through the day, so to lose one like this is really tough."
Bluey is streaming on BBC iPlayer and Disney Plus in the UK.
