The Wiggles have spoken out after a TikTok video of the group set to Keli Holiday’s ‘Ecstasy’ was taken down after complaints from parents.
As reported by News.com.au, the clip showed Blue Wiggle of the Australian children’s entertainment troupe dancing behind Holiday – the solo project of Peking Duk’s Adam Hyde – while ‘Ecstasy’ played.
The video was posted after Blue Wiggle and Holiday appeared on stage together at the TikTok Awards this week (November 26), where they played Holiday’s ‘Dancing2’.
The clip in question, though, was to the song ‘Ecstasy’, which includes the lyrics: “Hey girl, come on, dance with me / You and your pocket full of ecstasy”. This caused criticism from some parents who viewed the line as inappropriate for children’s content.
The video has since been taken down and in a statement to The West Australian, The Wiggles have they “do not support or condone the use of drugs in any form” and clarified that the video was created without their approval.
They said the music was edited into the clip without their knowledge, adding: “We understand that a video circulating on social media has caused concern for many parents and professionals, and we want to address that directly. The Wiggles do not support or condone the use of drugs in any form. The content being shared was not created or approved by us, and we have asked for it to be removed.”
“We deeply value the confidence families place in us and we remain committed to creating safe, positive, and educational experiences for children and families in Australia and around the world,” they added.
The Wiggles released their latest album ‘Wiggle Up, Giddy Up!’ in March, a country-themed record that included appearances from Dolly Parton (on ‘Counting 1 To 5’), Orville Peck, Lainey Wilson and others.
In May last year, they also topped the Australian dance music chart with ‘The Wiggles Soundsystem: Rave of Innocence’, an album of rave remixes. It outranked releases from bigger artists such as Sia and Rufus du Sol in the charts.
In June, the group met Robert De Niro when the actor took his daughter Gia to meet them in New York City.