Where are the Teletubbies now? Femail takes look back at original cast (2024)

Cult BBC children's programme The Teletubbies, which bewitched a generation of toddlers, is set to return to screens after being given a reboot by Netflix.

The show, which aired on the BBC, featured cuddly, colourful characters including Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po, who frolicked around the bright green hills of Teletubbyland until the show was cancelled in 2001.

The fun was watched over by the Sun, which featured the face of a giggling baby and feasted on Tubby toast and Tubby custard.

Earlier this week, Netflix treated fans to a first glimpse of their reboot of the hit 90s series, which will benarrated by star of The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Tituss Burgess and is to feature an entirely new cast as the playful creatures.

But what happened to the original actors who dressed up to entertain millions of tots every day in Teletubbyland? FEMAIL finds out...

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Tinky Winky, played by Simon Shelton

The largest of the Teletubbies, handbag-carrying Tinky Winky - a hue of purple - was played by actor Simon Shelton.

A trained ballet dancer, who was also known as Simon Barnes, he sadly passed away at just 52 in 2018.

Simon, who also worked as a choreographer during his long career,admitted in 2013 he was initially reluctant to take on the role that led to him being sent fan mail from adults as well as children and 'feeling like a member of The Beatles'.

Simon was actually the second actor to play the purple Teletubby, following on from Dave Thompson, who was sacked in 1997, according to the HuffPost.

At the time, it was reported Dave had 'misinterpreted' the role and had implied Tinky Winky was gay.

Speaking to the BBC in 2008, Simon said: 'I didn't know it would be as big as it was, but I did know as soon as I started working on it, that it had something special.'

In an interview with The Sun, Simon also revealed how much attention cast members received while working on the programme.

He said: 'We used to receive a lot of fan mail from kids AND parents. I suppose we were a bit like the Beatles or the Take That of children's television.'

Shelton said he was frequently asked whether Tinky Winky was gay.

'People always ask me if Tinky Winky is gay. But the character is supposed to be a three-year-old so the question is really quite silly,' he said.

Dipsy, played by John Simmit

Birmingham-based actor and comedian John Simmit, now 59, played the mischievous green Teletubby Dipsy.

He now appears to spend much of his time performing onstage and recently appeared in a show at Bristol's prestigious Old Vic theatre.

Earlier this year, John posted a photo on Instagram of himself alongside his Teletubbies character to mark 25 years since the show first aired.

He wrote: 'It's the 25th year anniversary of this distinctive TV show's first transmission and journey to becoming part of world culture & one of the most successful TV shows ever.'

Speaking at the show's 10-year anniversary celebration, John said: 'I was a stand-up before I became Dipsy so I carried on doing that when the series came to an end five years ago.

'The stand-up circuit is pretty close-knit so people got to know that I was Dipsy - but I never mentioned it on stage.'

In February, John spoke to the HuffPost about little details on the show that may have gone unnoticed by many viewers - including some reliable cast members that appeared in every single episode.

'We used these Flemish giant rabbits, which were the world’s biggest rabbits,' he said.

'I think that was [co-creator] Anne’s way of changing the perspective and making us look small.'

Teletubbies fan websites have long reported that filming often had to be stopped on the programme because the giant rabbits mated so often - which wasn't particularly child-friendly viewing.

Laa-Laa, played by Nikky Smedley

Trained dancer Nikky Smedley, now 51, was cast as Laa-Laa, the yellow Teletubby with a swirly antennae.

After the show finished, she revealed it was a tough life on set, with actors working 11-hour days in the suits, which were hot and heavy.

In her memoir Over the Hills and Far Away, Nikky explained how she found out about the role after seeing an advert in the industry magazine The Stage.

She wrote: 'I had spent the previous fifteen years working as a performer, mostly dancing, mostly with my own dance company, mostly poor. Now I was about to turn thirty-three and it was time for a new chapter.'

Earlier this year, Nikky spoke to The Mirror about how, while Teletubbyland seemed like a pleasant utopia, behind the scenes the actors often grew frustrated.

Explaining how the cast became hot and uncomfortable while bouncing around in their heavy suits, she said: 'My skin would crawl. I’d need to get out of there. We all got grumpy. The crew couldn’t understand it.'

She added the heat became so unbearable she shaved off her shoulder-length hair, while paramedics were onsite to hand out water bottles to the sweltering cast.

Speaking about the attention cast members received from the public, Nikky revealed how helicopters hovered over the set while filming was taking place so photographers could get shots of the actors' real faces.

She added she received sexually explicit letters from stalkers at the height of her fame.

Since the show's conclusion, Nikky has contributed to children's TV show Boohbah and choreographed another of the BBC's hit children shows, In the Night Garden.

For the last few years, Nikky appears to have been working as a storyteller-for-hire, who assumes the role of a mystical prophet at schools to bring magical stories to life.

Po, played by Pui Fan Lee

The most adorable Teletubby was little Po, considered the 'baby' of the group.

Po was played by actress Pui Fan Lee, now 51, who went on to become a CBeebies presenter, and also hosted Show Me, Show Me, a TV programme aimed at pre-school children.

In 2001, the actress raised eyebrows after playing a lesbian character in the Channel 4 show Metrosexuality, leaving some viewers shocked.

However she hit back at criticism she received and argued: 'Yes, I was Po. But I am an actress too and the role looked interesting, exciting and challenging.'

Speaking about her time on the Teletubbies, she said:'When we were in the show it was weird because we never dreamed anyone would be the slightest bit interested in us.

'But at the height of our popularity there were photographers jumping out of bushes.'

At the height of its fame the Teletubbies was a lucrative franchise, with many children desperately asking their parents for toy versions of their favourite character.

However, a speaking toy version of Po appeared to upset some consumers in 1998 when people took offence to the words the character said.

The Associated Press reported some people thought the toy was saying 'f****t' in an apparent hom*ophobic outburst - whereas others thought it sounded more like 'fatty'.

However at the time theitsy bitsy Entertainment Co., which licensed the Teletubbies, insisted the toy was saying the character's phrase: 'fidit, fidit'.

Since the show finished, Pui Fan Lee has gone on to star in pantomime productions of The Nutcracker and Jack and the Beanstalk.

The Sun Baby, played by Jess Smith

Jess Smith, from Chatham, Kent, was selected to be the giggling baby sun who looks over Teletubbyland when she was just nine months old.

Speaking to the BBC about how she landed the role, the former child star explained: 'I was being weighed at the hospital. My mum took me and it just happened to be the same time that the producer of the old series had come in and wanted the hospital to get in contact with them if they'd seen any smiley babies.

'It was just a case of sitting in front of a mirror and a camera and my dad playing with toys and race cars and that sort of thing to try and get me to laugh at the camera.'

In 2014, Jess - who hasn't pursued an acting career - revealed she only revealed her secret during a game with her university friends - where they all had to say something about themselves that no one else would guess.

She then used Facebook to confirm it was her - and photos show she still has the same cheeky face.

Jess joked: 'I thought I may as well tell them as I'm going to be spending the next three years with them. My mother is really chuffed.'

What's more, the child star is now officially all grown up and welcomed her first baby in 2021.