Joe Wicks, the fitness instructor who became a household name during lockdown with his PE With Joe YouTube series, has launched a new animated workout series for children called Activate. The five-minute episodes feature Wicks as a cartoon avatar, leading exercises like squats, star jumps and burpees in a colourful alien-filled world.
Activate is a collaboration with Studio AKA, the team behind the popular children's show Hey Duggee. Despite its public service broadcasting appeal, the series was initially rejected by every broadcaster approached. 'No broadcaster could recognise or identify where it would go in their scheduling,' said Sue Goffe, CEO of Studio AKA. Wicks and his brother Nikki decided to self-fund the project and release it on YouTube.
The series has since gained support from Universal Music, which provided its catalogue, and the UK government. Health Secretary Wes Streeting attended the launch, with pledges to fund and promote future episodes. Wicks emphasised that the goal is to get more children active, not to gloat over broadcasters' rejections. 'Success for me isn't government backing. The win for me is more kids exercising,' he said.
Activate aims to address childhood obesity, with one in five children leaving school obese according to Goffe. The series is available on YouTube, where it can reach a large child audience. Wicks hopes it will be used both at home and in schools, building on the impact of PE With Joe.
