How Paddington became the spokesbear for Britain

<p>First conceived in 1956 by Michael Bond, the marmalade-loving immigrant from Peru has become an iconic British cultural figure – treasured for his chaotic nature, impeccable manners, and proximity to royalty.</p><br /><p> So, how did Paddington become the spokesbear for Britain, crossing political divides in the country, and one of the most commercially successful characters in the world?</p><br /><p>Tom Gatti is joined by New Statesman contributor Amelia Tait, and Paddington screenwriter Jon Foster.</p><br /><p>Read: <a href="https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/2024/12/the-triumph-of-paddington-inc" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The triumph of Paddington Inc</a></p><p><strong>LISTEN AD-FREE:</strong></p><p>📱<a href="https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2022/06/newapp" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Download the New Statesman app</a></p><br /><p><strong>MORE FROM THE NEW STATESMAN:</strong></p><p>❓ <a href="https://www.newstatesman.com/podcasts/2022/10/you-ask-us" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ask a question</a> – we answer them every Friday</p><p>⏰ <a href="https://morningcall.substack.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Get our daily politics newsletter</a> every morning</p><p>✍️ <a href="http://saturdayread.substack.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Enjoy the best of our writing</a> via email every Saturday</p><hr /><p style="color: grey; font-size: 0.75em;"> Hosted on Acast. See <a href="https://acast.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: grey;" target="_blank">acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>