Emu, a mute and highly aggressive arm-length puppet modelled on the Australian bird, was operated by British comedian and popular entertainer Rod Hull. They appeared together on television in the 1970s and 1980s. His first UK television appearance came on the ITV show Saturday Variety, but it was his appearance in the 1972 Royal Variety Performance that provided his springboard to national recognition. Hull used Emu to create havoc while not accepting blame for it. The use of a false arm attached to Hull's jacket, which cradled the emu, made it appear that the neck and head moved of its own volition. Hull used the puppet to make violent attacks on people nearby. Toby Hull and Emu later appeared in their own series on CITV. In June 2018, puppeteer and guild member Phil Fletcher bought one of the last remaining Emu puppets for £8,860 at Chippenham Auction Rooms

in Wiltshire.