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Ian West/PA Wire
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Jedward to replace Coco the Monkey as faces of Coco Pops

The hyperactive Lucan twins will feature in a new advertising campaign – but Coco the Monkey’s not being retired yet.

Updated, 10.36

EUROVISION TWINS JEDWARD are to become the new faces of Coco Pops, it has emerged.

Kelloggs are said to have signed the Lucan natives – who shot to fame on the 2009 X Factor series, and who will represent Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest next month – as part of a campaign that will see Coco the Monkey phased out.

The pair – who will reportedly be paid £180,000 (€204,000) for the campaign – are set to film a TV advert for the cereal in Los Angeles in the weeks after their Eurovision duties are taken care of.

“When you walk into the shop all you will see is our faces and kids will be begging their parents to buy us. That’s going to be cool,” John Grimes – who is older by ten minutes – told the News of the World.

Coco the Monkey has been slowly phased out of advertisements for the cereal in the past few years – having not appeared in a speaking role in any advertisements since 2009 – though his face is still included on the front of the cereal’s box.

The monkey has been the cereal’s mascot since 1963, and has appeared in advertisements in countries where the cereal is known by the ‘Coco Pops’ name. In other countries the food is known as Choco Krispis, while in France it is known as Choco Pops.

The cereal was rebranded to ‘Choco Krispies’ in the UK and Ireland in 1998, but the ‘original’ name was restored a year later following public demand.

It is unclear whether the Jedward advertising campaign will still retain the well known “I’d rather have a bowl of Coco Pops” jingle.

Update: Sinéad O’Carroll tweets to tell us that Kellogg’s have committed to keeping Coco the Monkey alive for now; tweeting to underline that his job is safe for the time being.

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