World-famous children’s entertainers The Wiggles have admitted to selling a popular yellow-and-black headband for kids without warning parents about the dangers of button batteries.

The Emma Wiggle headband, which has four flashing lights powered by batteries, was sold at live concerts, retailers and online between June 2022 and March 2024.

It was recalled in August 2024 by manufacturer CA Australia amid safety concerns for young children who could choke by ingesting the batteries.

The group and the manufacturer have been given a slap on the wrist by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, agreeing to remedy their admission to likely breaching consumer law.

The watchdog’s Catriona Lowe said button batteries posed a significant risk to vulnerable young children and mandatory standards were an important step in helping to prevent injuries to children.

“Without a warning on the product, parents may not have known it contained button batteries and not understood the severity of the risk,” she said on Tuesday.

“If swallowed, a button battery can become stuck in a child’s throat and result in catastrophic injuries, and even death, in as little as two hours.”

The Emma Bow headband, which was available at The Wiggles’ live concerts until last year. Photo: AAP

As part of its co-operation with the ACCC’s investigation, The Wiggles have committed to produce an episode of its podcast discussing the Emma Bow headband recall and safety issues relating to button batteries and children’s toys.

Researchers have found about 200 children a year are potentially exposed to button battery injury in Australia, with at least a dozen a year experiencing severe injury.

The safety admission is the latest legal trouble for the group after it was sued by its ex-CEO.

Luke O’Neill launched legal action in the Federal Court in September arguing he was dismissed without a reasonable basis by the group after complaining about the hiring of blue Wiggle Anthony Field’s friends and family members.

But The Wiggles allege O’Neill was fired because his “overall performance was not satisfactory” and necessary trust in him had been lost.

-AAP