TV magician Ben Hanlin throws a ‘tantrum’ outside The Tower of London in support of early years campaign
- TV magician joins Theirworld’s Global Tantrum in protest over lack of early years
- Tik Tok star calls for action to “improve the lives of the future of young families”
- Other high-profile celebrities set to join the Global Tantrum in the coming weeks
Magician, performer and TikTok star Ben Hanlin has been filmed throwing a tantrum outside The Tower of London in support of a global campaign to highlight the crisis in early years provision.
In the video, the magician – who has performed card tricks for US stars Kim Kardashian, Jamie Foxx and Quentin Tarantino – falls to the ground and screams at onlookers after one of his card tricks goes wrong. You can watch the film here.
He follows a host of celebrities backing the campaign, including comedian Matt Lucas and former Pussycat Doll Kimberly Wyatt.
Hanlin, a father-of-two who shot to fame performing magic to unsuspecting celebrities on YouTube, is supporting Theirworlds’s Global Tantrum, part of the charity’s Act for Early Years campaign calling for a revolution in early years provision.
The Global Tantrum aims to send a strong message to world leaders that they are ignoring the world’s youngest children through lack of investment and political action. Because what do children do when they feel they are not being listened to? They throw a tantrum.
More than half of the world’s children – about 350 million – have no access to childcare and 175 million are not enrolled in pre-primary education. Without the right early years support, children fall behind even before they have started school.
“As a parent, our most challenging time was definitely in those first few years. That is when we needed help the most,” said Ben, who has over two million followers on social media and has performed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
“So many young families are struggling to balance work and increasing childcare costs. I really hope we can make a change and improve the lives of the future of young families.”
Theirworld will take the Global Tantrum to the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September to raise awareness among world leaders.
The charity says there is overwhelming evidence that shows that without proper support, children are at risk of going through life with poorer physical and mental health, and will face an uphill struggle to learn and, later, to earn a living.
Sarah Brown, Chair of Theirworld, said: “The first few years of a child’s life play such a vital role in their future development. It is so important that we push to ensure that they are supported fully in this period of their lives.
“We’re urgently in need of a global revolution in early years provision if we want to solve this problem. And it is our responsibility to drive this change to improve the lives of millions of children who are being left behind and let down.”
“This is why Ben and many more celebrities are joining Theirworld in throwing a wobbly to show enough is enough and change is so desperately needed. Although the Global Tantrum is a fun, light-hearted action, it is here to highlight a critical issue. We need world leaders to listen after years of failed pledges and promises, and there’s no better way to do this than having a tantrum!”
The campaign is backed by an extensive and hard-hitting report which lays bare the challenges facing parents and children, and includes radical recommendations for urgent action by world leaders.
Theirworld urges governments to act to make sure that every child has access to affordable, quality childcare. It also wants countries to invest in the key areas that a young child needs to thrive, such as good health, good nutrition, care and stimulation.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
For more information, please contact Jaspur Heer, jaspur@theirworld.org 07539 566 459
About Theirworld
Theirworld is a global children’s charity committed to ending the global education crisis and unleashing the potential of the next generation. Its mission is to ensure that every child has the best start in life, a safe place to learn and the skills they need for the future.
The Act For Early Years report is here: https://actforearlyyears.org/report/
Learn more about the Global Tantrum here: Global Tantrum – Act for Early Years a Theirworld Campaign