Ludo Studios and ABC Australia responded to the recent backlash it received over an episode of Bluey, and decided to cut the scene in question out of the show. This edit is different compared to other changes made in the past as the studio opted to remove it entirely in the original Australian version and future international releases.
Australian viewers who plan to watch the episode titled “Exercise” on ABC iView will be met with an edited version, where the scene of Bandit commenting on his weight was excised entirely. It now starts when Bandit goes outside to exercise before he goes to work, only to have his children play around him during his workout.
According to The Age, an ABC Australia spokesperson commented on the changes, stating that this was a decision made by the show’s creators, and this new version is what will be distributed internationally via the BBC. ABC and the BBC support this decision for the change.
“The recent episode of Bluey, Exercise, has been republished by the ABC following a decision by the makers of the program. The new version provides families with the opportunity to manage important conversations in their own way.
“As the home of Bluey, the ABC supports the decision to re-edit the program and we have updated the episode on our platforms. BBC Studios will use this revised version for global distribution and also support this decision.”
Unfortunately, not everyone is happy with the changes. One also described this situation using a line from the show. Fans expressed annoyance and disappointment after learning that the scene was removed, with some being glad they were able to view the original version before the changes were made. Meanwhile, others believe that these changes remove some context from the episode.
Bluey was criticized last month after an episode aired where Bandit and Chili commented on their weight in front of their children. Critics claimed that the episode in question was “fatphobic” and was uncomfortable to watch for those suffering from eating disorders. This is one of many edits the show has made. In 2020, dialogue from the show’s earlier episodes were edited out due to “racial connotations.” Meanwhile, the US version of the show received alterations due to censorship.
This is the first in Bluey‘s history where a show had to cut an entire scene from an episode, which affected both Australian and international releases.