• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
The Wiggles' lead singer makes heartbreaking family confession in new documentary

Home> Music> Nostalgia

Published 14:32 22 Oct 2023 GMT+1

The Wiggles' lead singer makes heartbreaking family confession in new documentary

Dad-of-two Murray Cook spoke about his son Hamish struggling with him going on tour

Niamh Shackleton

Niamh Shackleton

A highly anticipated new documentary about The Wiggles will reveal aspects of the band's lives that no one knew about.

Titled Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles, the programme looks into the fame behind the popular band that first formed in the 90s.

The documentary is described as 'a backstage pass to one of the world's greatest entertainment stories, and features decades of personal archive footage and intimate access to their sold-out shows'.

The synopsis continues: "It's the story of a life of music, friendship, joy, and the enduring power of the child in all of us."

Anthony Field speaks about his battle with depression on the programme, which is set for release on Amazon Prime, and shared that he'd sometimes burst into tears backstage of their shows.

Advert

But, as mental health wasn't as talked about 30 years ago, people were left baffled about Field's illness.

He recalls in the documentary: "Talking to one of my brothers, I told him I felt sad all the time and he said, 'What have you got to be sad about? You're successful, you have got all the comforts - what's wrong with you?'"

The Wiggles are getting their own documentary.
Brendon Thorne/Getty Images for SXSW Sydney

Elsewhere, Murray Cook discusses how touring affected his family life.

Advert

Cook is father to two kids, Georgia Munro-Cook and son Hamish Cook, and apparently Hamish in particular struggled when his dad had to leave to go on tour.

Cook recalled a heartbreaking comment made by his son.

Apparently Hamish said: "I don't like music because it takes Daddy away."

No, you're crying.

Advert

The band also took a toll on Greg Page's family life, with him going on to divorce his wife Michelle Charlton in 2008.

He left the band in 2006, and returned for a special reunion in 2020.

But the night ended in disaster as Page suffered a heart attack on stage.

(L - R) Murray Cook, Jeff Fatt, Greg Page and Anthony Field snapped in 2005.
Matt King/Getty Images)

Advert

"First I thought he'd just overdone it, but then his eyes started rolling back," Cook recalled.

"Then first aid people were saying he'd stopped breathing. I thought he was dead. It was horrible to see... It was pretty distressing."

The 'Rock-A-Bye Your Bear' hitmaker was later diagnosed with orthostatic intolerance.

Meanwhile Cook had open-heart surgery in 2021.

Advert

Jeff Fatt has also had health issues in the years that followed his fame in The Wiggles, and after ongoing heart issues, Fatt had a triple bypass and a pacemaker fitted in 2011.

Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles drops on Amazon Prime on Tuesday (October 24).

Featured Image Credit: Morgan Hancock/Getty Images/Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

Topics: Music, Film and TV, Amazon Prime

Niamh Shackleton
Niamh Shackleton

Niamh Shackleton is an experienced journalist for UNILAD, specialising in topics including mental health and showbiz, as well as anything Henry Cavill and cat related. She has previously worked for OK! Magazine, Caters and Kennedy.

X

@niamhshackleton

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

7 days ago
12 days ago
13 days ago
21 days ago
  • Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for MTV
    7 days ago

    Body language expert breaks down Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter's 'frosty-looking' hug at VMAs

    Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter both attended the VMAs on Sunday

    Music
  • Getty Images/Steve Jennings
    12 days ago

    Freddie Mercury's alleged 'secret child' makes shocking claim about his death

    Freddie Mercury's alleged secret child has made a shocking claim about his death while blaming one of his close friends

    Music
  • Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
    13 days ago

    Katy Perry shuts down haters as she reveals staggering earnings from tour

    Katy Perry has received a massive pay day from her tour

    Music
  • Getty Images/Craig Sjodin
    21 days ago

    Heartwarming reason Eminem turned down gig that ‘would’ve made him $100,000,000’

    Eminem turned down a massive pay day

    Music
  • Prime Video fans are binging ‘real and raw’ mini-series with 95% RT rating as creator returns with new drama
  • Friends and family of Idaho students killed by Bryan Kohberger explain why they thought they were 'next' in chilling new documentary
  • Billie Eilish new boyfriend 'confirmed' as singer spotted kissing Hollywood actor in Venice
  • Netflix viewers in tears over 'gut-wrenching' documentary series as it lands 100% RT score