Australian children’s music group The Wiggles has issued a statement after two of its members were featured in a music video for a song that apparently alludes to drug use.
In the since-deleted clip for musician Keli Holiday’s new song, Ecstasy, Blue Wiggle Anthony Field and his nephew Dominic Field, who plays the Tree of Wisdom, could be seen dancing in the background.
A spokesperson for The Wiggles said the group “does not condone” the use of drugs “in any form” and that the video had been created without the band’s approval.
The TikTok video was viewed more than 92,000 times before it was taken down, Australian media report.
“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 group said in a statement to The West Australian newspaper.
“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.
“While Keli Holiday is a friend of The Wiggles, the video and the music added to it were created independently and without our knowledge.”
The clip was filmed at the TikTok Awards earlier this month where members of the band appeared on stage with Holiday – whose real name is Adam Hyde – during his song Dancing2.
Holiday shared the video on TikTok, with the caption “The Wiggles get it”, to promote his new single Ecstasy. The song’s chorus lyrics are: “Hey girl, come on dance with me. You and your pocket full of ecstasy.”
A spokesperson for The Wiggles told The West Australian newspaper that the band’s performances at the awards had been “family-friendly” and that the video had been “edited together separately and without our awareness”.
Created in 1991 as part of a university assignment, The Wiggles has become an international phenomenon among young children. Anthony Fields is the only original member still with the group.
Keli Holiday is the solo project of Hyde, who is also known for being one half of electronic dance duo Peking Duk.
The BBC has contacted Holiday’s management for comment.