Actor Simon Callow, who narrated the series, said: "Narrating Mr Men was highly entertaining. The programmes are fun but full of wisdom."

The series will first go out on February 25 and is expected to be sold to countries around the world. An American station has already snapped it up.

A Five spokesperson said: "Mr Men is a comedy show for four to seven-year-olds.

"The fact Mr Rude has a French accent is meant to be light-hearted and tongue-in-cheek and no offence to the French people is intended."

A source at the French Embassy said: "It is obviously meant in a light-hearted way but it won't improve Anglo-French relations."

Mr Men first came to fame through the little square storybooks which sold more than one million copies in the first three years in the early '70s.