The inexplicably named Sweetums is a grotesque, hairy Muppet who towers above mere humans. His bulldog-like lower jaw, thick eyebrows, shabby brown shirt and threatening expression belie his genial nature.

Sweetums first appeared on the television special The Frog Prince in 1971 as a witch's ogre. There he tried to eat the hero, played by Kermit's nephew Robin. He later performed a duet with Robin and the two appeared together on merchandise as best friends perpetually ever after.

During his first appearance, Sweetums was performed by Muppeteer Jerry Nelson, but soon after, Richard Hunt made the character his own. Hunt gave life to Sweetums throughout the run of The Muppet Show and the first two Muppet movies. When Hunt's health deteriorated (eventually leading to his death), Muppet creator Jim Henson's son John Henson took over the role.

The character also appears at Walt Disney World's Disney-MGM Studios and the Disneyland Resort's Disney's California Adventure in Jim Henson's MuppetVision 3D. He is one of the very few Muppets to appear live in the course of the show, and probably the only one performed by a puppeteer rather than by animatronics.