Most people have fond childhood memories of Kermit The Frog, Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear.
But even the thought of The Muppet Show terrifies mother-of-two Lindsay Broom.
She has suffered from a phobia of puppets – called automatonophobia – since she was five.
‘All it takes is for my husband, Alex, to hum The Muppets theme song and I’m a wreck,’ she said.
‘When I see them, I automatically imagine the puppets’ facial features twisting and distorting, I just have to get away from them.’
She realised the extent of her fear when she spotted a furry Muppet toy in a shop as an 18-year-old and ‘just completely freaked out’.
On another occasion, she was at a theme park in Florida with her nephew. He wanted to queue for a Muppets ride – she took flight
The 37-year-old’s phobia dates back to when she bought a rabbit hutch with her mother and was left ‘in a dark room’ inside the seller’s house with an elderly woman.
‘The elderly woman didn’t say a word, but was obviously unwell.
‘She sat there groaning and wheezing as an episode of The Muppets was playing on the TV,’ she explained. ‘It was the strangest and most terrifying experience of my entire life. When mum came back to collect me from the room, I burst into tears.’
It’s not just Animal and the gang that upsets her, she is also scared of Jim Henson’s other creations – Sesame Street and Fraggle Rock.
While there is no known cure for automatonophobia, possible treatments include hypnosis, psychoanalysis therapy and medication.
But Mrs Broom, from Swansea, said: ‘I haven’t sought medical advice – the phobia is so specialised that I can’t imagine anyone will be able to help me.’
But even the thought of The Muppet Show terrifies mother-of-two Lindsay Broom.
She has suffered from a phobia of puppets – called automatonophobia – since she was five.
‘All it takes is for my husband, Alex, to hum The Muppets theme song and I’m a wreck,’ she said.
‘When I see them, I automatically imagine the puppets’ facial features twisting and distorting, I just have to get away from them.’
She realised the extent of her fear when she spotted a furry Muppet toy in a shop as an 18-year-old and ‘just completely freaked out’.
On another occasion, she was at a theme park in Florida with her nephew. He wanted to queue for a Muppets ride – she took flight
The 37-year-old’s phobia dates back to when she bought a rabbit hutch with her mother and was left ‘in a dark room’ inside the seller’s house with an elderly woman.
‘The elderly woman didn’t say a word, but was obviously unwell.
‘She sat there groaning and wheezing as an episode of The Muppets was playing on the TV,’ she explained. ‘It was the strangest and most terrifying experience of my entire life. When mum came back to collect me from the room, I burst into tears.’
It’s not just Animal and the gang that upsets her, she is also scared of Jim Henson’s other creations – Sesame Street and Fraggle Rock.
While there is no known cure for automatonophobia, possible treatments include hypnosis, psychoanalysis therapy and medication.
But Mrs Broom, from Swansea, said: ‘I haven’t sought medical advice – the phobia is so specialised that I can’t imagine anyone will be able to help me.’
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