Wiggles Announce New ‘Balanced and Diverse’ Cast for YouTube Series
The Big Red Car just got a little crowded with twice as many Wiggles on board.
Key points:
- There is a new party member for each of the four Wiggle colors.
- The group says it seeks to inspire a “diverse audience”
- Anthony Field is the only original Wiggle remaining
The Australian children’s group has expanded their lineup to eight Wiggles as part of their new YouTube Fruit Salad TV series.
The Wiggles said they “seek to inspire a diverse audience with its balanced and diverse cast” and to ensure that children around the world “see themselves reflected on screen.”
There are four new cast members, one for each Wiggle color, including three women, two of whom are wearing pants.
15-year-old Tsehay Hawkins is the second Red Wiggle. Hawkins was born in Ethiopia and adopted by an Australian family. She is a champion of Latin dance.
Evie Ferris, an Australian Ballet corps de ballet dancer, is the second Blue Wiggle and wears blue ballet slippers.
Ferris, 24, is a native Australian and first performed with the Wiggles for their song We’re All Fruit Salad earlier this year.
Kelly Hamilton, 45, is the second Yellow Wiggle alongside the group’s first female member, Emma.
Hamilton is a Chinese-Australian and will skateboard in Wiggle Town.
The fourth new cast member is second purple Wiggle John Pearce, 30, a former member of the music group Justice Crew.
Hawkins, Ferris, Hamilton and Pearce join current Wiggles: Lachlan Gillespie (purple), Simon Pryce (red), Emma Watkins (yellow) and Anthony Field (blue).
Field, 58, is the only remaining original Wiggle – the group formed in 1991.
Fruit Salad TV will debut September 4 on YouTube and will be available worldwide.