28-year-old Isaac Blake told an employment tribunal that he went to hospital twice and was forced off work for a week after suffering injury while performing on the CBBC show In The Night Garden, which stars the character Iggle Piggle.

Mr Blake, who played one of the Tombliboos in the toddlers show, said he was dismissed for complaining about a faulty animatronic suit he wore on the show. He claimed that production company Ragdoll Limited ignored his concerns.

Injury and discrimination 

Blake told the tribunal that he fell off a chair and hurt himself after being told to jump around after the camera inside his costume had cut out. As the suit covered him completely, he was dependent on cameras to be able to see what he was doing.

In another incident, he said he was signed off work for a week when he suffered pelvic injuries after wearing the Tombliboo suit for a long period of time. He also claimed that he had been the victim of homophobic abuse. Ragdoll have denied all of Mr Blake’s allegations.

In November 2007, In The Night Garden won the British Academy Children's Film and Television Award for Best-Pre School Live Action Programme. It is narrated by Derek Jacobi and features a mix of actors in costumes, puppetry and computer animation. It was created by Anne Wood CBE, Ragdoll's creative director, and Andrew Davenport, who also created the Teletubbies.