A BBC original Mr Blobby costume has attracted more than £60,000 in an online auction.
The piece of TV memorabilia, that found fame on Noel’s House Party, is being sold by eBay user blobby01, and with a day to go until the auction ends, the costume has reached a whopping £61,501.
Described by the seller as in need of a new home, the costume is more than 25 years old.
It was made by the BBC’s costume supplier, but the show was cancelled before it could be delivered.
The seller wrote: “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.”
Due to the costume’s age, and the material, the suit is now deemed “less suitable to be worn”.
Some extra attention is also needed to fix a crack in one of the plastic eyes and to secure the character’s iconic bright yellow polka-dot bow tie.
The costume’s cracked eye. Pic: eBay/blobby01
“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 seller added.
Sadly the sale of the suit does not include a voice device, which enabled the character to say the word “blobby”, and can only be used for personal display use.
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The buyer will have to sign an agreement that they will not hire out or use the costume for public exhibition in order to abide by copyright law.
Running from 1991 to 1999, Noel’s House Party was a BAFTA-winning light entertainment show.
Mr Blobby was hugely popular in the 1990s and even had his own merchandise
Marking the 10-year anniversary of the programme in 2001, the BBC unearthed archive footage of the hit show and spoke with producer Michael Leggo, who initially thought up the idea of Mr Blobby.
He said that the character was used to help with the “Gotcha” section of the show, but soon took on a life of its own, spawning spin-off merchandise and separate TV appearances.