Teletubbies sun baby reveals surprising amount she was paid for childhood role
Eh-oh! The woman who became the face of the Teletubbies' iconic sun baby has revealed how she landed the role - and the surprisingly small fortune she was paid.
For millions of children growing up in the late '90s and early 2000s, the beaming baby face that appeared above the Teletubbies' colourful little world was a familiar sight.
But while Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po became household names, the little girl behind the sunshine remained largely unknown - despite being one of the show's most recognisable features.
Jess Smith was just nine months old when she secured the iconic role, but her journey to landing it was anything but ordinary.
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"My mom took me to the hospital for a general check up, the staff were asked if they could forward any baby names to the production company to appear in a new TV series," she explained.
"My mom agreed. From there I had a couple of auditions, I’m assuming to make sure I could laugh on cue and what my laugh sounded like, and eventually was shortlisted and received the part."
But despite becoming the face of one of the biggest children's TV shows of its time, Jess, now a mom-of-two, received just $335 (£250) for the gig...and a couple of plushies.
Speaking with UNILAD about what she knows about how the iconic episodes were filmed, she added: "There’s only two facts I know - I filmed my part in the house of one of the producers, and the original film set is now filled in with water as the land owner was annoyed with the visitors."
And despite becoming such a well-loved kids TV show, Jess admitted it wasn't ever something she actually watched.
"I have no memory of watching it at all, believe it or not," she said, "I’ve never been one to talk about the show or my appearance on it. It’s always been part of my life and something I hold on to."
But her life now is very different from her days in the sun...
"Now I am a full-time mom and I wouldn’t change it for the world," Jess said.
"I love being at home with my girls and I hope it stays this way, my children are aware of the Teletubbies, we put it on occasionally."
She added: "They both recognise that it is me in the sun, by saying 'mommy' and pointing at it."
The original Teletubbies series first aired on the BBC in 1997, before coming to an end in 2001 after four years on screen.
However, the colourful quartet weren't quite gone for good, with the show making a comeback on CBeebies in 2015 and running until 2018.
And in 2022, Netflix gave the children's classic another revival, releasing a 26-episode reboot on November 14, narrated by Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt star, Tituss Burgess.
Topics: Film and TV, Parenting
Mia Williams
