One of Australia’s beloved children’s entertainment groups has admitted that the sale of its Emma Bow headbands has “likely breached” consumer law because the products lacked mandatory safety warnings.
The Wiggles has admitted a “likely” breach of Australian consumer law after it was revealed that one of its most popular products was sold for almost two years without the mandatory safety warnings required for products containing button batteries.
The beloved children’s entertainment group sold light-up Emma Bow headbands powered by four button batteries; however, the product failed to carry the required safety warnings about the batteries and the dangers they pose to children.
According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), roughly 3,164 units of the popular yellow-and-black Emma Bow headband were sold over the period from June 2022 to March 2024.
The legal watchdog further alleged that CA Australia, the headband’s importer and distributor, provided around 600 additional units to other third-party retailers.
The ACCC and CA Australia issued a recall for the Emma Bow headband, publishing a notice on the ACCC website on 1 August 2024.
As part of its resolution with the ACCC, The Wiggles has provided a “court-enforceable undertaking”, acknowledging that it likely breached the law by supplying headbands that “failed to comply with the Button Battery Information Standard”.
CA Australia has also provided a written commitment to the ACCC to strengthen its consumer law compliance.
ACCC deputy chair Catriona Lowe emphasised the seriousness of the issue, noting that the product was designed for children and that swallowing a button battery without seeing the required warnings could have catastrophic, even fatal consequences.
“The Emma Bow was aimed for children’s use and was available at The Wiggles’ live concerts. It was also sold by other suppliers on The Wiggles online store and through various physical retail stores,” Lowe said.
“Without a warning on the product, parents may not have known it contained button batteries and not understood the severity of the risk.
“If swallowed, a button battery can become stuck in a child’s throat and result in catastrophic injuries, and even death, in as little as two hours.”
According to a statement provided to ABC, a Wiggles spokesperson affirmed the company’s dedication to maintaining the highest safety standards across all its products, ensuring parents can trust that their children are safe while enjoying them.
“At The Wiggles, the safety and wellbeing of children and families is always our highest priority,” the spokesperson stated.
“We want every parent and carer to feel complete confidence in any product bearing The Wiggles name. The Wiggles are committed to ensuring that every product associated with our brand meets the highest standards of safety, quality and reliability.
“We will continue to take proactive steps to protect children and support Australian families in every way we can.”
In addition to the recall and the undertaking, The Wiggles has pledged to produce an episode of its podcast, Wiggle Talk – A Podcast For Parents, which will cover the headband recall and raise awareness about the safety risks of button batteries in children’s toys.
The episode is scheduled to be released within six months across YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.
