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Edinburgh Live
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
BBC Teletubbies stars' lives - tragic death, eyebrow raising scene and alcoholism
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info We all have memories of those four oversized, extraterrestrial-like figures scampering across our TV screens stirring up shenanigans when we were kids. The Teletubbies are arguably among the UK's most iconic children's TV series, having first appeared in 1997. Their nonsensical chatter and distinctive antennas sprouting from their scalps render them unforgettable. Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa, and Po composed the quartet of Teletubbies; under the watchful eyes of the Sun Baby and the Voice Trumpets, they spread giggles and mirth to viewers young and old. Notorious for stirring controversy, once an episode even got axed for being a bit too risqué. Original broadcasts spanned from 1997 to 2001 on BBC, and there was also a revival from 2015 to 2018. Come November 2022, Netflix orchestrated a grand comeback. But ever wonder what became of the original performers beneath those vivid suits?, reports the Mirror. Tinky Winky. (Image: BBC/Teletubbies Production LTD) Tinky Winky, the biggest and eldest of the bunch, was portrayed by a trio: Dave Thompson, Simon Shelton, and Jeremiah Krage. Dave was the initial actor behind the purple behemoth but departed after controversy questioning Tinky Winky's sexual orientation bubbled up. American conservative preacher Jerry Falwell once infamously criticised the character, decrying: "Tinky Winky is purple, the gay pride colour, and his antenna is shaped like a triangle: the gay pride symbol." The official reason given for his exit was "creative differences", but reports later surfaced that the production company behind the show believed the actor had wrongly suggested Tinky Winky had a homosexual orientation. "I am proud of my work for them. I was always the one to test out the limitations of the costume. I was the first to fall off my chair and roll over. I took all the risks," Dave commented on his time with the show. Post-departure, Dave ventured into standup comedy and in 2014, he performed with the Naked Balloon dance troupe. Following Dave's exit, Simon, a ballet dancer and choreographer by trade, stepped into the Teletubbies' world as the show's fame soared both in the UK and across the pond. "We used to receive a lot of fan mail from kind and parents, I suppose we were a bit like The Beatles or Take That of children's television," Simon recalled. Simon also addressed the speculation surrounding Tinky Winky's sexual orientation. "People always ask me if Tinky Winky is gay," he remarked. "But the character is supposed to be a three-year-old so the question is really quite silly." In a sad turn of events, Simon passed away due to hypothermia in Liverpool during January 2018 at the young age of 52. He was found with a high level of alcohol in his system and was known to have struggled with alcohol issues. Dipsy. Dipsy, often dubbed the coolest of the Teletubbies, was portrayed by stand-up comedian John Simmit. Delving into his influence on the character, John shared: "Dipsy would say, 'Papa Come Papa Come To Po', which was actually my take on a classic reggae rhythm track called The Whip. "And I'd slip in Jamaican dance moves, a Bogle there and a Tatty here. People spotted my little wink to my culture and I'm proud of that." John never shied away from discussing the gruelling and sweaty nature of working inside the voluminous costume. "We had to wear really ugly underwear like those old Western long johns, which was essentially a onesie, but it was so it could absorb the sweat," he revealed. "When we were out of costume, you'd have to turn your face the other way and speak to us at a distance because we were reeking and so sweaty you could wring us out. Huge props to our dressers for putting up with us!". After the show wrapped up its four-year run, John returned to his roots as a comic and toured across the country. He once admitted that he has never disclosed on stage that he was the man behind Dipsy, although he does tweet about his time on the show and responds to fans' messages. "The stand-up circuit is pretty close-knit so people got to know that I was Dipsy - but I never mentioned it on stage," he previously stated. Laa Laa. The third Teletubby, Laa Laa, known for their curly antenna and being the kindest and most encouraging member of the troupe, was portrayed by professionally trained dancer Nikky Smedley. Now aged 53, Smedley landed the role after responding to a newspaper advert seeking an actor for a novel children's TV series, sticking with it throughout the original four-year stint. Yet, as Nikky recalls, it wasn't all child's play; the weighty and stifling costumes were a challenge while filming sessions stretched to 11-hour marathons. Post-Teletubbies, once its initial series concluded in 2001, Nikky continued her association with Ragdoll Productions, contributing to other projects. Among these, she choreographed the dance routines for another CBeebies hit, In The Night Garden - yet another children's programme populated with peculiar, vibrant beings. Po (Image: BBC) As for Po, the pint-sized darling of the group was depicted by Po, the tiniest and arguably most adorable of them all. Known for their subdued voice, Po enchanted audiences, blowing bubbles through a circle-shaped aerial and zipping around Tubbyland on a scooter. Pui Fan Lee embraced the part just after graduating drama school – captured in one particularly endearing photo snoozing while still partially suited up as Po. Upon Teletubbies' finale, Pui stirred some whispers by engaging in explicit scenes in Channel 4's Metrosexuality. "Yes, I was Po, but I am an actress, and the role looked interesting. I didn't take the lesbian role to be deliberately controversial," the actress clarified. Pui later made a comeback to children's television, becoming one of the first presenters on the CBeebies channel, alongside Chris Jarvis, with whom she also co-hosts Show Me Show Me. Additionally, the actress landed a minor role in Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason and made a guest appearance in EastEnders in 2019. The Sun Baby. (Image: Time4News/Youtube) The lovable Sun Baby would appear at the start of each episode, waking the Teletubbies and signaling the end of the day. Jess Smith, the original Sun Baby from 1997 to 2001, is now in her 20s and was expecting her first child. Interestingly, Jess was cast for the role while being weighed in hospital. Producers filmed her sitting in front of a mirror and camera, watching her dad play with toys, which made baby Jess laugh uncontrollably, instantly securing her the coveted BBC role. In a 2017 interview with BBC South East, Jess recounted how she landed the role: "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." When the show made its comeback in 2015, viewers were introduced to a new baby, Berry, who took up the mantle. An adorable photo even surfaced showing Jess giving Berry a cuddle.
Daily Mirror
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Where the actors behind Teletubbies are now from lesbian sex scene to alcoholism
Underneath the giant costumes of the characters that grew up with millennial children were real-life people, who have been involved in scandal and tragedy in life after the hit show We all remember the four giant-sized, alien-like creatures running around in our screens causing mischief when we were little. The Teletubbies could be considered one of the most iconic children's TV shows in British history since they debuted in 1997. Their gibberish language and the differently shaped antennas coming out of their heads make them easily memorable. The four Teletubbies were Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po, and would be watched over by the Sun Baby and the Voice Trumpets. They all spread joy and laughter on the show to anyone who watched. However, they were quite renowned for mating so much so that they had to make a scene less X-rated, where one episode was banned. The show originally ran from 1997 until 2001 on the BBC before being revived from 2015 to 2018. And in November 2022, Netflix launched a big comeback. But what happened to the original faces behind the masks? Tinky Winky Tinky Winky was the largest and oldest Teletubby was played by three actors, Dave Thompson, Simon Shelton, and Jeremiah Krage. Dave, who was the first to play the purple giant left the series after viewers started to question Tinky Winky's sexuality. Hardline US evangelist Jerry Falwell once attacked the show, saying: "Tinky Winky is purple, the gay pride colour, and his antenna is shaped like a triangle: the gay pride symbol." The official line was that he walked due to 'creative differences', but it was later reported that the show's production company felt the actor had misinterpreted the role by "implying" Tinky Winky was gay. 'I am proud of my work for them. I was always the one to test out the limitations of the costume. I was the first to fall off my chair and roll over. I took all the risks," Dave said regarding his departure. Since leaving the show Dave went into the business of standup comedy and performed with the Naked Balloon dance troupe in 2014. After Dave's departure, Simon, who was a ballet dancer and choreographer, took over the role as the Teletubbies grew in popularity in the UK and US. 'We used to receive a lot of fan mail from kind and parents, I suppose we were a bit like The Beatles or Take That of children's television,' explained Simon. Tinky Winky's orientation has also been a question Simon has had to answer. "People always ask me if Tinky Winky is gay," he said. "But the character is supposed to be a three-year-old so the question is really quite silly." Tragically, Simon was found dead from hypothermia in Liverpool in January 2018 at the age of just 52-years-old. He had a high concentration of booze in his system and had known to have had problems with alcohol. Dipsy Dipsy may have been considered the coolest of the Teletubbies, played by stand-up comedian John Simmit. Explaining how he influenced the character, John explained: "Dipsy would say, 'Papa Come Papa Come To Po', which was actually my take on a classic reggae rhythm track called The Whip. "And I'd slip in Jamaican dance moves, a Bogle there and a Tatty here. People spotted my little wink to my culture and I'm proud of that." John never hid from the truth of how hard and sweaty it was to work in the big suit they had to wear. "We had to wear really ugly underwear like those old Western long johns, which was essentially a onesie, but it was so it could absorb the sweat," he said. "When we were out of costume, you'd have to turn your face the other way and speak to us at a distance because we were reeking and so sweaty you could wring us out. Huge props to our dressers for putting up with us!" Once the show came to an end after four years, John went back to being a comic and toured the country. John once said he has never revealed on stage that he was the man behind the Dipsy costume, but he does tweet about his time on the show and replies to fans' messages. "The stand-up circuit is pretty close-knit so people got to know that I was Dipsy - but I never mentioned it on stage,' he previously said. Laa Laa The third Teletubby is Laa Laa with the curly antenna, the sweetest and most supportive of the gang, and was played by trained dancer Nikky Smedley. The 53-year-old got the role of Laa Laa after replying to newspaper ads for an actor to star in a new children's TV show and stayed for the original four-year run. But it wasn't all fun and games as Nikky explained that the hot and heavy suits were a nightmare as they filmed for 11 hours at a time. Once Teletubbies came to the end of its first run in 2001, Nikky stayed working for Ragdoll Productions on other shows. As well as Boohbah, Nikky has been involved in choreographing CBeebies favourite In The Night Garden - another popular kid's show featuring strange, colourful characters. Po The baby of the family was little Po, who was by far the cutest and smallest of the lot. Softly-spoken Po could be seen blowing bubbles using her circular-shaped antenna and hurting around Tubbyland on her scooter. Actress and presenter Pui Fan Lee took on the role shortly after leaving drama school - and in one incredible picture was seen lying down fast asleep with the body of her Po costume still on. After the show ended, Pui raised a few eyebrows by taking part in lesbian sex scenes during Channel 4 show Metrosexuality. "Yes, I was Po, but I am an actress, and the role looked interesting. I didn't take the lesbian role to be deliberately controversial," explained the actress. Pui would later return to children's TV and was one of the first ever presenters on the CBeebies channel along with Chris Jarvis, who she also hosts Show Me Show Me with. The actress also had a minor role in Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason and made a guest appearance in EastEnders in 2019. The Sun Baby The adorable Sun Baby popped up at the beginning of every episode to wake the Teletubbies up and as a signal for the end of the day. The original Sun Baby was played by Jess Smith, between 1997 and 2001, and is now in her 20s and was expecting her first child. The child star also previously revealed that she was actually cast in the role when she was being weighed in hospital. At the time, producers let the baby Jess sit in front of a mirror and a camera while she watched her dad play with toys. Luckily, the sweet moment made baby Jess laugh so much that she was instantly cast in the coveted BBC role. Speaking to BBC South East in 2017 about landing the role, Jess 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." When the show was revived in 2015, a new baby called Berry took over the role and was even seen being cuddled by Jess in a cute snap.
Daily Mail
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The 1% Club knocks out whopping TEN players with 'easiest' question - could you answer it in 30 seconds?
The 1% Club knocked out a whopping 10 players with the game's supposedly 'easiest' question. Hosted by Lee Mack, the ITV show welcomes 100 contestants who all attempt to win a huge cash prize. The programme's questions are put to the public before the episode, with the percentage who get it right determining the difficulty of each round. Aptly, the final quiz question is one that just one per cent of the public answered correctly. But a recent episode saw one of the supposedly simplest questions, the one 90 per cent of the public got right, trip up some players. The contestants seemed to find 30 seconds just not enough to get to the answer in time. Lee read out the question: 'Logically, which of these children's characters could be included in this sequence?' The sequence went: 'Humpty Dumpty, Tinky Winky, Andy Pandy.' The 100 contestants were then given two options to choose from as the next item in the list: 'Postman Pat' or 'Incy Wincy'. While the contestants were thinking hard, Lee cheekily quipped: 'Actually, these are all nicknames I use for my, um... actually, forget that.' For some, the pattern might seem obvious - each of the character's names is made up of two words, which rhyme, making 'Incy Wincy' the answer Lee was looking for. He said: 'The right answer is Incy Wincy because the sequence is made up of characters whose names rhyme so Incy Wincy is the only correct option.' But a huge ten per cent of the players seem to have been distracted by giggling at Lee's joke as they did not spot the pattern. Ten of the 100 contestants answered 'Postman Pat' instead - getting themselves eliminated in the very first round. It comes after another 90 per cent question got an enormous 25 players wiped out - a quarter of all the episode's contestants - in a different recent instalment of the quiz show. The question read: 'Which of the following words contain the most vowels?' The options were 'vowel', 'consonant' and 'letter'. Lee joked: 'And if you don't know what a vowel is here's a little tip... perhaps spend more time reading and less time on Instagram.' The correct answer was 'consonant' but the question proved too tricky for 25 players, who were all knocked out of the game. Lee asked one of them, called Amanda, what answer she went for. Amanda revealed she selected 'vowel' and Lee asked: 'What was your reasoning?' She replied: 'Because I'm an idiot. I overthought it', to which Lee said: 'It's easily done.' The 1% Club is available to watch on ITV and to stream on ITV.
Irish Examiner
25-04-2025
- Lifestyle
- Irish Examiner
Wish List: Eight cool home buys to rock the colour purple
Mug shot From lilac to lavender, the colour purple conjures ideas of nobility, abundance, and magic. Care to disagree? What about Donatello, the gentle, smart teenage turtle? Or Tinky Winky, the 10-foot-tall icon who may or may not have inspired the 'man bag' movement? Pantone purple, however, hits different, and the Copenhagen Design handmade china mug from Croghan lifestyle store in Wexford is my next guilt-free payday purchase. Nothing excites me more than a really good cup of tea: is it an art, a science, a bit of both? Who cares? It's time for my next cup of Barry's. Find your favourite colour at Croghan. Dopamine draping While Dutch couple Woes and Pia Weinberg were grieving the tragic loss of their twin daughter, they channelled their energies into a passion project that became Maison Deux. Its mission was simple: to create environmentally friendly, well-made textiles that would spark joy. The cosy Chill Pill throw, €165, a lush lilac jacquard woven rug made from 100% New Zealand wool, is the proof and the pudding. Do I want to envelope myself in an inky cloak while drowning in my own melancholia? Sometimes — but I am not the Prince of Denmark. This biodegradable blanket, certified with the Woolmark and Oeko-Tex label, brightens up my mood just by looking at it — perhaps I've stumbled upon a natural mood-booster? Shop this and other colourways and styles on Maisondeux. Garden glow-up Entering Søstrene Grene is at your own risk. Affordable prices for bits you never knew you needed? The shop is quite simply a crafter's dream. Dare I say it — it's finally warm enough to dine outside. Never underestimate the power of an eye-catching tablescape — it can detract from even the limpest cucumber sandwich. We're pairing these candles, €5.98, in-store at Sostrene Grene with daisies, whimsical glassware, and pitchers in a palette of lilac, white and lemon. Insider's tip: The Roughty Foodie in the English Market sells the most exquisite floral bouquets at affordable prices. Fine print Ruffled, crimped or shaggy — am I talking about my hair in the 90s or the details of my new favourite flower? You decide. The petals of the purple poppy are delightful — wait — is this what old age looks like? Apparently, I care about the bees now, too. No gallery wall is complete without a floral print, and Madelen Möllard's Purple Poppies fine art giclée print, created exclusively for The Poster Club, brings an instant injection of pep to any space. Shop at the Theposterclub. It bottle For those of us who like the idea of the Stanley bottle but get the ick when it comes to the reusable straw, there's Lund London's Skittle bottle. It could quite easily masquerade as a sculpture on your office desk, but it's not just a pretty face. I can't tell you how many times I have bought cheaper water bottles only for them to leak in my gym bag. This vibrant vessel is leakproof with an airtight screw-on seal and insulated to keep your drink cool for 24 hours or warm for 12 hours. I still don't know what BPAs or phthalates are, but I also don't know what a tracker mortgage is, and I know I don't want any of those things. Lucky, then, this stylish bottle has none of the above. You can buy yours at Stock Design shop or online at Stockdesign. Sweet seat Marshmallows transport me back to the summer of my J1, listening to a floppy-fringed Iowan named Chad playing Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls or munching on the burnt pink and white fluffy sweets, watching 'Midsomer Murders' with my mam and dad. Rose & Grey's lilac marshmallow side table, approximately €153.83, is a dreamy way to bring to life those memories. Style an artistic vignette by perching your most pretentious coffee table book atop, accompanied by a dreamy scent — my favourite is The Doyle Collection's signature Donegal turf candle, €55, at Order your table at Cool cup More and more reports are emerging about the exorbitantly high percentage of microplastics in baby products from select retailers — and not just the cheaper ones. So, isn't it more important than ever to ensure our smallies are consuming from products that are free from the nasty stuff? From pacifiers to feeding and bathcare, Mushie's products are eco-conscious and non-toxic. The silicone snack cup, €14.99, is ideal for bringing to the park or the seaside and is available from independent Meath business Extended cover Oozing with coquettish charm, the countrycore aesthetic of Laura Ashley has enduring appeal. Years after the Welsh designer built her fashion/lifestyle empire, her influence has attracted collaborations with cutting-edge fashion brands like Batsheva, Rag & Bone and Barbour. Often thought of as the supporting actor to the suite of furniture, a statement rug can really tie a room together. The Laura Ashley Wendling hand-tufted floral rug, €699, in heather purple from Rugs is no wilting wallflower; this is the main event.
