Monkey is the mascot of the now defunct television company ITV Digital in 2001-2002 and PG Tips tea (2007-24, 2025-) .
In adverts for both ITV Digital and PG Tips, Monkey had a human sidekick named Al (played by comedian Johnny Vegas) who would pronounce his name as Munkeh (in Vegas's Lancashire accent).
Monkey is notable as one of a small number of advertising characters to eclipse the popularity of the product they advertise and also to be reused to advertise a completely different product.
He appeared at the 2002 BRIT Awards without Al. In 2003, Monkey appeared along with several celebrities in an advert for Walkers to promote their baked bean flavoured crisps.
In 2008, he appeared in a short film called A Tale of Two Continents which was shown in British cinemas before screenings of films like Horton Hears A Who! throughout the Easter period of that year. The film was also given away on DVD with special packs of PG Tips tea.
Monkey made his final appearance in adverts for PG Tips in 2017.
In November 2020 and June 2022, an PG Tips advert advertising biodegradable tea bags featured a girl having a tea party with her toy animals. Among them, a toy version of Monkey.
In 2024, PG tips announced the retirement of Monkey, alongside the introduction of square-shaped tea bags. The following campaign, featuring Ashley Walters, sparked some online backlash.
In March 2025, Monkey made a brief cameo appearance at the end of the telethon Comic Relief along with several other celebrities singing "Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life".
Monkey returned to advertising PG Tips from May 7, 2025 as part of the 'Life One Tea at a Time' campaign. In these adverts, Monkey has shown to be married to a woman named Alice (portrayed by Emily Atack) and has two children named Chai and Earl.
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Trivia[]
- According to the box that his ITV Digital toy version would come in, Monkey's birthday is 25 October 1971 and that his birthplace is Islington in London. The box also said that Monkey's hobbies are hang gliding and TV.
- Monkey's adverts for PG Tips mark the second time the brand has had a primate mascot. The first being The Tipps Family, who served as the brand's mascots from 1956 to 2002 (with an 18 month break in the 1970s).
- Monkey was created by advertising agency Mother.
- According to his debut PG Tips advert, the way Monkey likes his tea is three stirs clockwise, two stirs back, one three quarter sugars and short with the milk.