Gootopia, a London-based children's slime party business backed by broadcaster Steph McGovern, has returned to profitability following a period of rapid expansion across the UK.

Founded in 2018, the company hosts interactive parties where children play with multi-coloured slime. It has since grown from a single location to twelve sites across the country, including outlets in Brixton, Bristol, and Broadstairs. The business taps into the slime craze that proliferated on social media platforms such as YouTube and TikTok, where videos of homemade slime garnered billions of views and turned the sensory play trend into a durable fixture of children's entertainment.

McGovern, a former BBC and Channel 4 presenter, was an early investor in the business and has played an active role in overseeing its growth. She currently co-hosts the Rest is Money podcast, produced by Goalhanger — the media company known for popular podcast series including The Rest is History and The Rest is Politics — alongside ITV political editor Robert Peston. McGovern has used the platform to discuss both her investment in Gootopia and the broader challenges facing growing businesses, including increases to business rates, the minimum wage, and national insurance contributions.

According to Gootopia's latest annual report, the company recorded a £16,000 surplus in its profit and loss account for 2025, reversing a £22,000 deficit from the previous year. The firm expanded its workforce by ten employees, bringing its total headcount to 45. However, its tax bill more than doubled over the same period as the business absorbed the costs associated with its expansion.

Gootopia's growth has been bolstered by a partnership with Hamleys, widely recognised as the world's oldest toy retailer, founded in London in 1760. Through the collaboration, Gootopia has hosted slime-themed events at Hamleys' flagship store on Regent Street as well as its Westfield location in Shepherd's Bush. The partnership reflects a wider move by established retailers to introduce in-store experiential attractions as they compete with e-commerce for foot traffic.

In addition to its fixed-site operations, Gootopia has introduced a mobile slime party service and launched adult-oriented events branded as "slime and wine" nights. The company describes these sessions as "brilliantly messy" experiences featuring "vibrant colours, cheeky mix-ins, and even sexy scents."

Attendees at Gootopia events leave with two pots of custom-made slime, described by the company as a keepsake "to remember the night by."