Peppa Pig megafans, we’ve got some devastating news: Harley Bird, the actress who has voiced the high-spirited hog for 13 years, is stepping down from the role.
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Playing Peppa since she was five years old, Bird, now 18, was heard in 185 episodes of the kid’s animation. She’ll be replaced by nine-year-old Amelie Bea Smith, who’ll be the fourth voice actor to take the part.
Speaking about her exit, Bird said: “Becoming the voice of Peppa Pig at the age of five was the start of an incredible journey, and I’ll never forget my time on the show.
“The people that work on Peppa Pig have become like a family to me and they’ve given me some unforgettable memories.
“I wish Amelie the best of luck in the role and am looking forward to starting the next chapter in my life.”
During her time on the show, Bird bagged herself a BAFTA in 2011, and also performed tracks on the recently-released Peppa Pig My First Album.
Peppa Pig co-creators Neville Astley and Mark Baker said: "As our longest-standing Peppa, Harley's award-winning contribution to the show over the past 13 years has been tremendous, making her a key part of the success of Peppa Pig."
Harley Bird in 2015
Who is Harley Bird?
Harley Bird took over the role of voicing Peppa Pig when she was just five-years-old and had to mimic the crew as she was too young to read the scripts. As Harley got older she also had to speak in a higher pitch to make sure she still sounded like the famous pig.
Who will now voice Peppa Pig?
Newcomer Smith will first be heard in an episode set to air this Valentine's Day on Channel 5, an instalment that sadly won’t feature a Doctor Who-style regeneration scene for Peppa.
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Who first voiced Peppa Pig?
Bird replaced Lily Snowden-Fine, who voiced Peppa in the show’s first series and also helped write it until she left in 2005 when her voice became too deep. Cecily Bloom was the star of the show’s second series, but was replaced by Harley from the third series onwards.
Thomas is Digital editor at BBC Science Focus. Writing about everything from cosmology to anthropology, he specialises in the latest psychology, health and neuroscience discoveries. Thomas has a Masters degree (distinction) in Magazine Journalism from the University of Sheffield and has written for Men’s Health, Vice and Radio Times. He has been shortlisted as the New Digital Talent of the Year at the national magazine Professional Publishers Association (PPA) awards. Also working in academia, Thomas has lectured on the topic of journalism to undergraduate and postgraduate students at The University of Sheffield.
