22 Aug 2021 | 5 mins

We remember them as Greg, Anthony, Jeff and Murray - driving around in their big red car, prepping a fruit salad, talking about hot potatoes, cold spaghetti with some helping hands from our besties Wags and Dorothy - they're a worldwide household name but a lot has changed since then!

Unless you are living under a rock, you have probably already heard about or seen the new Wiggles cast shake-up. Their colours have doubled, their line-up has expanded to eight and according to The Wiggles, the additions are to inspire an audience with a gender balanced and diverse cast, where children all around the world can see themselves reflected on the screen.

 

Blue Wiggle and long-standing band member Anthony Field said in a statement: “This is the first step towards shaping The Wiggles for the next 30 years, taking us in a direction that truly represents and serves our community more inclusivity”.

The new cast:

We’ve got a red Wiggle, Tsehay Hawkins! Tsehay was born in Ethiopia and adopted by an Australian family - she is 15-years-old and an award-winning dancer.

Blue Wiggle Evie Ferris joins the cast! Evie is a Taribelang Indigenous Australian woman and is a ballet dancer, wearing some pretty snazzy blue ballet shoes.

Kelly Hamilton is the second yellow Wiggle alongside Emma. Kelly is Chinese-Australian, has performed on a number of children’s shows and will be riding her skateboard all around Wiggle Town.

The second purple Wiggle is John Pearce - Filipino-Australian, personal trainer, former member of Justice Crew and thief of stealing girls’ hearts from 2010-2012 (not sure on the truth behind that last one).

So, that begs the question, why are people so mad about this beloved children’s group shake-up?

Looking into this, there are a few different views on the new additions and people have expressed that they’re just not extremely keen on the change. 

While there are people loving these additions, there are also a few people kicking up a stink. You could say that with this change, there are a bunch of role models on screen for future Wiggles fans who haven’t even been born yet but there are people with a “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality.

Is there an issue with too many cast members and too much going on screen? Are people scared of change? Are the Wiggles being too PC? Are people thinking The Wiggles are only doing this to tick a diversity box? Or simply just upset because of a nostalgic feeling that has evolved into something else for the next generation to come?

Similar reactions and responses were received when Emma Watkins, the first female Wiggle was added into the bunch in 2012 taking the reins of the yellow skivvy - some people were not thrilled about it and were arguing with the idea that a female cast member was not needed. Fast forward a few years, you’re seeing Emma themed first birthday parties and bows everywhere - so with three new female cast members and an overall diverse cast, is it really a bad thing?

Are these additions really a shock to the system due to prejudiced views or are people just scared of the progressive society that we live in? Or is this addition of diverse representation the positive change that Australia needs?

Whichever way you look at it, I think the next gen kids will still be rockin' to toot toot, chugga chugga, big red car 🚗