Eileen De Bont, from Prestatyn, Wales, faces a passport rejection from the UK Home Office after legally changing her name for charity
A woman who legally changed her name to "Pudsey Bear" 16 years ago as part of a charity fundraiser says the Home Office is refusing to issue her a passport under her new name. Eileen De Bont, now 53, from Prestatyn, Wales, changed her name to Pudsey Bear in 2009 as part of a Children in Need fundraising auction.
To raise money for the charity, Eileen ran an eBay auction where she offered a list of 50 names and pledged to take on whichever one was chosen by the highest bidder. The UK Deed Poll Service won the auction with a bid of £4,000, and Eileen officially became Pudsey Bear.
However, when Eileen recently applied for a passport under her new name, the Home Office rejected her request. Despite having legally changed her name through a deed poll, the authorities insisted she would need to apply under her original name, Eileen De Bont.
“I thought it would be a simple process. I legally changed my name years ago, and I thought everything would be fine,” Eileen said. “I’ve been known as Pudsey Bear for so long, and I want to travel with the name I chose.”
Eileen’s case has raised questions about the flexibility of official documents in relation to legally changed names. While it is common for people to change their names for various reasons, the Home Office maintains that official identification, such as a passport, must match the name on a person’s birth certificate unless specific legal procedures are followed.
Eileen is now appealing the decision and hopes to raise awareness for those who face similar struggles when trying to be recognized under their legally changed names.
