I am losing my mind over real and fake Labubu dolls

“Can I have a Labubu - pleassssse, mum?” This is all I hear day in, day out from my young children.

- CHARLOTTE CRIPPS

Call these gremlin keychain dolls that adults actually hang off their Miu Miu and Birkin bags ugly or cute – even demonic, as is claimed by conspiracy theorists on TikTok – I don’t care. All I know is I can’t get my hands on one. That's because they are a global sensation - and demand is so high they sell out in seconds. Pop Mart, the Chinese company behind the Labubu doll, reported this week that it expects at least a 350 per cent increase in profit for the first six months of 2025, as revenues more than tripled, no doubt helped by the fact Labubus became a popular fashion accessory earlier this year among celebrities including Dua Lipa and Rihanna - before trickling down to the rest of us.

But now, as the Labubu craze sweeps through primary schools, misguided mums like me are blindly rushing to buy these toys with furry bodies, wide prominent eyes and a toothy grin.

I unknowingly bought two fake ones - otherwise known as a Lafufu - at my local mini supermarket for £10 each. But they fell apart, a common issue apparently, according to local authorities across the UK and Europe, who are warning against them due to choking hazards and toxic chemicals - and confiscating counterfeit products in bulk.

This week's haul includes 32 keyrings and 95 boxes of counterfeit Labubus seized from the Pontypridd area in Wales. And according to the BBC, more than 370 of the dolls were confiscated in North Ayrshire, Scotland recently due to safety concerns. Rochdale Borough Council posted a toy safety alert on Facebook this month alongside a photo of a fake Labubu doll.