Mark Saltzman, a longtime scriptwriter who has written over 50 songs for the show, said that the co-habiting characters’ relationship was based on his own with film editor Arnold Glassman. His comments were made in an interview with LGBTQ+ publication Queerty.

He said: “I remember one time that a column from The San Francisco Chronicle, a preschooler in the city turned to mom and asked ‘are Bert & Ernie lovers?’ And that, coming from a preschooler was fun.

“And that got passed around, and everyone had their chuckle and went back to it. And I always felt that without a huge agenda, when I was writing Bert & Ernie, they were. I didn’t have any other way to contextualise them.”

Sesame Workshop has since released a statement clarifying that “Bert and Ernie are best friends”.

“They were created to teach preschoolers that people can be good friends with those who are very different from themselves,” the statement continues.

“Even though they are identified as male characters and possess many human traits and characteristics (as most Sesame Street Muppets do), they remain puppets and do not have a sexual orientation.”

Why Sesame Street still counts Show all 9 1 /9 Why Sesame Street still counts Why Sesame Street still counts From left, Cookie Monster, Prairie Dawn, Big Bird, Ernie, Elmo, Bert, Oscar the Grouch and Grover celebrate season 25, 1993-1994 Rex Features Why Sesame Street still counts Sesame Street hosts Matt Robinson (Gordon), Will Lee (Mr Hooper), Loretta Long (Susan), and Bob McGrath (Bob) with Big Bird circa 1969 Getty Why Sesame Street still counts Portrait of the Muppets in 1981. Includes Oscar the Crouch (in the trash can), Bert (holding the washboard), Ernie (with the harmonica) The Court (playing the bass), Cookie Monster (playing the banjo), Grover (with the violin) and Big Bird (far right). Getty Images Why Sesame Street still counts The famous member of the Muppets gang 'Kermit the Frog' made regular appearances on Sesame Street Getty Images Why Sesame Street still counts In 2002 South Africa's Sesame Street introduced 'Kami', the world's first muppet 'living with HIV'. Her name is derived from the Tswana word for 'acceptance'. Getty Images Why Sesame Street still counts Actress Whoopi Goldberg kisses Kami to mark World AIDS Day Getty Images Why Sesame Street still counts First Lady Michelle Obama pays a visit to Sesame Street Reuters Why Sesame Street still counts Actress Sarah Jessica Parker with Elmo Reuters Why Sesame Street still counts UN Secretary Kofi Annan poses with the Sesame Street character Elmo Getty Images

Bert and Ernie – who were originally operated by Muppets creator Jim Henson and Star Wars puppeteer Frank Oz – have been regulars on Sesame Street since the children’s programme first aired in 1969.