Popular children's band The Wiggles performed in Parramatta for the first time since recruiting three new cast members recently. Pictures: Gene Ramirez
Popular children's band The Wiggles performed in Parramatta for the first time since recruiting three new cast members recently. Pictures: Gene Ramirez
Popular children's band The Wiggles performed in Parramatta for the first time since recruiting three new cast members recently. Pictures: Gene Ramirez
Popular children's band The Wiggles performed in Parramatta for the first time since recruiting three new cast members recently. Pictures: Gene Ramirez
IT was a whole lot of smiles, propeller dance moves and screams as the new Wiggles group performed at Westfield Parramatta on Thursday.
Last year, the popular children entertainers underwent a makeover with three of the original band members — Murray Cook, Jeff Fatt and Greg Page — departing in favour of younger performers.
Only the Blue Wiggle, Anthony Field remained.
Lachlan Gillespie, Simon Pryce and the first ever female Wiggle Emma Watkins are the newest editions to the group.
Watch a video interview with Watkins and some footage of the performance, filmed by Gene Ramirez below:
Watkins’ said she is delighted to be the first ever Wigglet.
‘‘It usually takes me longer to do my hair,’’ she said.
‘‘When Jeff was on tour, Jeff and I would take the same time because Jeff had long hair as well. ‘‘It’s really nice being the only girl and I get to wear bows which is a little bit different from the boys and Dorothy has a room mate which is exciting.
‘‘There is a lot more dancing involved and I play the drums which is a little unexpected.’’
Watkins replaces the former Yellow Wiggle, Greg Page.
Although it might seem she has a big skivvy to fill, the 23-year-old said the skivvy had been taken in and the Wiggles logo moved higher for the perfect fit.
‘‘I’m an original Wiggles fan and I am 23,’’ she said.
‘‘It’s the 22nd year now and I just go a long with what I remember and a lot of the songs that we do impromptu to, I remember from when I was six, so that is quite nice.’’
Watkins has been dancing since the age of three and attended a performing arts high school.
She has toured extensively with the original Wiggles, performing as the bubbly Fairy Larissa on the Dorothy The Dinosaur Show, as Dorothy, Wags The Dog, a Wiggly dancer and a ballerina.
She said she was shocked when she was asked to play the role of the Yellow Wiggle.
‘‘I’ve been on the road for a couple of years with the guys and I was asked the question,’’ Watkins said.
‘‘When Anthony spoke to me, I thought that he was telling me that it was going to be over and that we would all not be working any more.
‘‘Then he was like ‘‘we will be starting a new group and we were wondering if you would like to be the new Wiggle’’ and I was like ‘‘woah’’ that’s totally unexpected.’’