Top Five Scariest Kids’ TV Characters

Children’s TV is supposed to be colourful, fun, and harmless… but every so often, a character would appear that sent us diving behind the sofa cushions. Whether it was their appearance, their behaviour, or just some weird uncanny vibe, these characters traumatised generations of kids — and still live rent-free in our nightmares.

Here are five of the scariest characters to ever haunt children’s television:

5. Mr Blobby (Noel’s House Party, 1990s)

The character: A giant pink blob covered in yellow spots, with googly eyes and a high-pitched “blobby blobby blobby” screech.

Why he was scary: On paper, he was meant to be silly. In reality, he was a lumbering, chaotic force of nature who smashed furniture, knocked people over, and screamed relentlessly. His unpredictable energy made him as terrifying as he was iconic.

Nightmare fuel rating: 7/10. Still pops up every Christmas to remind us of our childhood fear.

4. Noseybonk (Jigsaw, 1980s)

The character: A silent mime in a suit, with a huge white grinning mask and an absurdly long nose.

Why he was scary: His sketches were meant to be surreal comedy… but his unsettling smile and silent movements landed him straight in the uncanny valley. Watching him cavort around gardens and houses felt like a fever dream.

Nightmare fuel rating: 9/10. Ask anyone who grew up in the ’80s — Noseybonk was pure terror.

3. Grotbags (Emu’s World, 1980s–’90s)

The character: A green-faced witch, complete with cackling laugh and penchant for kidnapping children.

Why she was scary: She was played for laughs, but her loud voice, shrieking presence, and genuine “wicked witch” energy made her frightening for younger viewers. You never quite knew if she was joking — or if she actually meant it.

Nightmare fuel rating: 6/10. A pantomime villain who went a little too hard for Saturday morning telly.

2. Cuthbert Lily (ZZZap!, 1990s)

The character: A slapstick clown-like man-child who lived in a silent comic-strip world.

Why he was scary: Something about his fixed expression, wild movements, and constant chaos was unsettling. He was meant to be funny, but there was a strange menace to his hyperactive energy — like he could turn on you at any second.

Nightmare fuel rating: 7/10. Harmless on paper, nightmare material in execution.

1. The Hooded Claw (The Perils of Penelope Pitstop, rerun in the 1980s)

The character: The arch-villain of Hanna-Barbera’s cartoon, always trying to kill Penelope in elaborate traps.

Why he was scary: Yes, it was a cartoon — but his sinister voice, constant threats, and over-the-top schemes gave him an intensity that unsettled younger viewers. A literal cartoon villain who took things way too far.

Nightmare fuel rating: 8/10. Proof that even Saturday morning cartoons could go full horror.