Happy ... TV's Mr Tumble
TV's Mr Tumble in sex fumble
By LUCY HAGAN and JANE SYMONS
March 20, 2007
TV favourite Mr Tumble is greeting toddlers by saying “I’m f*****g you” in sign language.
The CBeebies character says the gestures mean “I’m happy to see you”.
But angry parents have accused the BBC of jumbling up their signals.
Dad-of-one Jamie Miller, who works for the Royal National Institute for the Deaf, was stunned when he watched Something Special with daughter Katie, five.
Jamie, 32, of Northallerton, North Yorkshire, said: “The signs for “happy” and “f******” are quite similar but it was still an awful error to make.
Clowning ... with pals
“Katie, who is learning sign language, asked what the gesture meant. I didn’t know what to tell her.”
He contacted the BBC five times but Mr Tumble — presenter Justin Fletcher — still opens every show by making the same hand-rubbing signal.
The BBC yesterday denied the blunder — saying they use Makaton signals, which vary from British Sign Language.
RNID spokeswoman Kate Sidwell said: “We advised the BBC that using Makaton would cause confusion.
“Makaton is used more for children with learning difficulties — it is essentially a different language.”
In British Sign Language “happy” is shown by gently brushing the palms against each other.
The swear word is made by brushing the hands together between the thumb and first finger.
thesun.co.uk
