The Teletubbies amazed a whole generation of toddlers with its colourful characters, cheerful baby sun and their delicious Tubby Toast. The BBC series was cancelled in 2001 but has now been brought back to life by Netflix with a whole new cast. Express.co.uk has everything there is to know about the original stars of The Teletubbies.
Where are the original Teletubbies now?
Dipsy – John Simmit
Mischievous green Teletubby Dipsy was played by actor and comedian John Simmit.
The 59-year-old from Birmingham was a stand-up comic before joining the iconic show and continued to perform on stage while in The Teletubbies and still does today, as well as DJing part-time.
Earlier this year, Simmit posted a picture of himself alongside his Teletubbies character to mark the 25th anniversary of the show.
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.”
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Tinky Winky – Simon Shelton
Purple, handbag-carrying Teletubby Tinky Winky was portrayed by actor Simon Shelton who was a trained ballet dancer and choreographer.
He admitted in a 2013 interview that he was initially reluctant to join the cast but later felt he was like “a member of
The Beatles”, receiving fan mail from children and adults.
Shelton was actually the second actor to portray Tinky Winky after Dave Thompson was fired in 1997 as he implied his character was gay.
Sadly, Shelton passed away from Hypothermia at the age of 52 in 2018.
Po – Pui Fan Lee
The baby of the group Po was played by 51-year-old actress Pui Fan Lee.
She went on to become a CBeebies presenter and host the preschool children’s series, Show Me, Show Me.
Fan Lee surprised some viewers when she portrayed a lesbian character in the Channel 4 show Metrosexuality in 2001.
Defending her choice of role, she said: “Yes, I was Po.
“But I am an actress too and the role looked interesting, exciting and challenging.”
The Sun – Jess Smith
Jess Smith, who is now in her mid-20s, was picked to play the Sun when she was just nine months old.
She didn’t go on to pursue an acting career and kept it a secret from her friends until 2014 at university during a game where they all had to say something about themselves that they wouldn’t guess.
Jess said: “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.”
The Teletubbies is available to watch on Netflix.
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