21-05-2025
Peppa Pig's PR guru revealed: The woman behind amazing viral sensation that saw story of cartoon porker giving birth go global
When it was announced live on Good Morning Britain yesterday that national icon Peppa Pig had welcomed a new baby sister, fans across the world could hardly contain their excitement.
It was the latest step in a masterful PR campaign which has seen the loveable cartoon character and her family - Mummy, Daddy and brother George - go viral in recent months as excitement built for the big announcement.
From live interviews with the family on Good Morning Britain to a gender reveal party at Battersea Power Station, the brand has kept audiences hooked and made headlines across the world.
Now, MailOnline can reveal how the company behind the campaign engineered its publicity Masterclass - and the woman behind it.
Peppa Pig's PR team lies in PrettyGreen, an agency with years of experience handling clients that are some of the world's largest brands - including Amazon Music, Disney and Pizza Express.
Headed up by Managing Director Sarah Henderson, who has been at the firm for 14 years, staff at PrettyGreen worked hard behind the scenes to turn the cartoon into global news, reaching some 1.4 billion people around the world.
Ms Henderson, who has some two decades of experience in PR, has previously handled publicity for major brands including Nando's, Nintendo, Snapchat, Three Mobile, Cadbury, Audible and, of course, Hasbro - the firm behind Peppa Pig.
After joining the firm in 2011, Ms Henderson worked her way to the top of the business, becoming Group Managing Director in 2021.
The brand took inspiration from celebrity pregnancy announcements that take millions by storm - such as Rihanna's recent baby bump reveal at the 2025 Met Gala - to create a moment that 'broke the internet' with a 'playful, relatable moment'.
Following a similar strategy, Henderson and her team were able to harness the media and create a unique TV moment that saw a live announcement which went viral on social media - with 57 million views on GMB's TikTok post alone.
It all began with an exclusive 'live' interview with Mummy Pig on GMB with showbiz correspondent Richard Arnold.
Appearing from her house in 'Peppatown' Mummy Pig was about to spill her major news before being interrupted by her eldest Peppa, who excitedly told her 'mummy, mummy they're showing you on TV, come and see!'
After the brief interlude, Mummy Pig was ready with her news.
'I'm excited to share that our family is getting even bigger because we're having another baby!' she told a delighted Richard, before the camera panned back to reveal her baby bump.
Mummy Pig also showed off her ultrasound as she revealed she was due in the summer.
It was confirmed her pregnancy would also be announced in the perfect cliffhanger - the final episode of the latest series of Peppa Pig, which aired on March 30.
The news quickly went around the world, with news outlets covering the story with just as much enthusiasm as any other major pregnancy.
And PrettyGreen was quick to take advantage of Peppa's renewed fame by hosting a gender reveal party at one of the UK's most iconic landmarks.
The huge party was held at London's Battersea Power Station on April 25, at which Mummy and Daddy Pig dropped a curtain to unveil that they were expecting to welcome a baby girl to add to the family this summer.
The global smash hit cartoon also celebrated the gender reveal news with a VIP party at the world's first-ever permanent Peppa Pig store at Battersea on Friday, featuring fundraising in support of NCT, the UK's leading charity for pregnancy and parents.
And now, just a month later, Ms Henderson lead PrettyGreen to break the internet again with the announcement of the birth of the new family member - little Evie.
Returning to GMB, it was revealed live on air that Mummy Pig welcomed a girl named Evie at 5:34AM on Tuesday.
This time Peppa Pig really went the whole hog - appearing at the Lindo Wing in London, the same location where Kate Middleton gave birth to all three of her children, and even employing a town crier.
The birth was announced with a royal-inspired twist on the classic royal birth announcement, complete with a town crier, a scroll-style proclamation, and the unveiling of an official Peppa Pig birth certificate.
Addressing the public from outside the hospital the crier declared: 'Lend me your ears for news of the birth of a daughter to Mummy and Daddy Pig. Peppa and George have a baby sister and her name is Evie. Long live Evie Pig!'
A mock birth bulletin in the style of the royals' announcement was also made and displayed outside.
And the excitement doesn't stop here, as fans can join the family on the big screen with Peppa Meets the Baby, a brand-new cinema experience launching May 30 in over 2,600 cinemas across 19 countries.
The hour-long, song-filled screening features 10 brand-new episodes, as Peppa and George prepare for the arrival of their baby sister.
And next week, GMB has promised to bring viewers Daddy Pig's first 'live' interview after the birth of Evie.
Speaking about the success of the campaign online, a PrettyGreen spokesperson said: 'Leaning into internet culture and humour, we transformed this animated milestone into a viral moment, by recreating iconic celebrity pregnancy announcements alongside family photos and a sonogram.
'It provided media, influencers, and earned outlets alike with a rich content library to amplify the story, culminating into a highly shareable global, cross-channel campaign.'
They added: 'Mummy Pig Pregnancy broke the internet, trending across Google, X, and TikTok.
'The buzz led to an 88% surge in Peppa Pig UK Google searches and a massive 57M views on Good Morning Britain's TikTok alone.
'The story injected light-hearted positivity into the news cycle, cementing Peppa Pig at the heart of pop culture - sparking conversation on Reddit, Mumsnet, and even earning nods from brands like John Lewis and Grind Coffee.'
Peppa Pig first aired in 2004 and has since been broadcast in 180 territories and translated into 40 languages. It's spawned books, toys and even two theme parks, with the global Peppa empire now worth over £1 billion.
Creators Neville Astley and Mark Baker admitted they were worried the idea would never get off the ground, and that people were initially bored of the idea.
People in the pub would ask us, 'What are you drawing?' We'd say, 'A pig, called Peppa, it's going to be big.' They'd lose interest and wander off', explained Astley.
The pair created Peppa and her family working in each other's houses or at the local pub.
The creators explained that the secret to Peppa's long-lasting appeal is the show's simplicity, as well as ensuring the piglet is never the butt of the jokes.
'We put a lot of work into making everything look as effortless as possible, said Baker.
'We can laugh at the adults, but children don't like it if we laugh at the children in the show.'
