Mr Blobby: who is under the suit, has it changed since Noel’s House Party - and ITV switch explained

Britain’s Got Talent viewers were reunited with a 1990s TV legend as Mr Blobby gatecrashed the show during the semi-final on Thursday 1 June.

The episode opened in typical fashion with the judges' entrances and the likes of Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and Bruno Toniloi were all cheered on to the stage ahead of the fourth day of the semi-finals.

The crowd were eagerly awaiting the arrival of the fourth and final judge when a big pink spotted character gatecrashed the stage instead of Simon Cowell.

The skit saw Mr Blobby attack host Ant McPartlin before diving off the stage and being forced out by security. The performance sent the crowd into hysterics and largely overshadowed Cowell’s entrance as he confirmed that Mr Blobby would not be returning.

Mr Blobby will be a familiar face to many UK television fans and he has been a figure of comedy since the 1990s.

But who is behind the Mr Blobby costume and where might fans remember the pink spotted character?

Here is everything you need to know.

Who is Mr Blobby?

Mr Blobby is a bulbous pink figure covered in yellow spots with a permanent toothy grin and green jiggling eyes. The character only communicates by saying the world “blobby” in an electronically altered voice.

The fictional character first rose to prominence during a Saturday evening variety show known as Noel’s House Party which regularly aired on BBC One.

The entertainment show was hosted by Noel Edmonds of Top of The Pops and Deal or No Deal and it was set in a large house in the fictional village of Crinkley Bottom.

The character Mr Blobby was introduced during the second series of the show in 1992 and it was used as a chance for Edmonds to play practical jokes on a series of celebrities.

The character proved hugely popular and he even released a Christmas song Mr Blobby which briefly topped the UK charts in 1993.

Mr Blobby’s character was a sensation during the 1990s but its popularity waned over time and it was eventually removed from Noel’s House Party in season seven. The show was eventually cancelled two seasons later in 1999.

Who is under the Mr Blobby suit?

Mr Blobby was created by Michael Leggo and it was portrayed by Bradford born actor Barry Killerby from 1992 to 2015.

During this time Mr Blobby appeared in shows such as Live & Kicking, The Generational Game, Dick and Dom in Da Bungalow and Harry Hill’s TV burp.

Since 2006, Mr Blobby has mainly been used on ITV shows and he has made cameo appearances on shows such as  This Morning, Loose Women, Dancing on Ice and most recently Britain’s Got Talent.

The character has been portrayed by Paul Denson since 2015. The actor also makes appearances on the character's YouTube channel which has amassed over 14,000 followers. According to Vice, Denson worked as a video editor for Unique before taking on the role of Mr Blobby. He made his debut at a Revenge of the 90s club night in Bristol and his comeback escalated after an appearance on Alan Carr: Chatty Man.