Spitting Image
Back to 1980s
Spitting Image was a satirical television show, which began in 1984.
Prominent political figures and celebrities are depicted as puppets, with exaggerated features which are often linked to events or personality traits associated with them.
The show was cancelled in 1996, then was revived in 2020 with new additions such as Donald Trump and Greta Thunberg. It was cancelled again in 2022.
The puppets in our collection are based on Nelson Mandela, Gerry Adams and Labour politician Peter Mandelson who was appointed Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in 1999. Before National Museums NI acquired them they were at Johnnie Fox's pub and the Gerry Adams puppet, which was regularly featured on the show, particularly at the time of the broadcasting ban on Sinn Féin members, has since been restored.
