(From left): The Wiggles founding members Jeff Fatt, Murray Cook, Greg Page and Anthony Field attend the Hot Potato: The Story Of The Wiggles world premiere. Photo / Getty Images
(From left): The Wiggles founding members Jeff Fatt, Murray Cook, Greg Page and Anthony Field attend the Hot Potato: The Story Of The Wiggles world premiere. Photo / Getty Images
The Wiggles’ brand-new documentary Hot Potato: The Story of the Wiggles has finally hit Prime Video screens, and with it has come some behind-the-scenes secrets.
Sitting down with news.com.au, founding members Anthony Field, Greg Page, Murray Cook and Jeff Fatt have opened up about the highs and lows of theirthree-decade-long careers, including the high-profile exits of Page in 2006 and his replacement Emma Watkins, who very publicly quit in 2021.
Asked how difficult the popular Australian children’s group found it to continue after the shock exits, Field explained it was his long-time friend Page’s decision to leave that was the hardest to come to terms with.
“For me, with Greg, it was very hard, because [these] four have this magic that you can’t manufacture,” he said, with Cook further adding to the answer.
Founding members, (L-R) Jeff Fatt, Murray Cook, Greg Page and Anthony Field of the Wiggles attend the "Hot Potato: The Story Of The Wiggles" World Premiere. Photo / Getty Images
“Greg’s voice is the sound of the Wiggles, really. Of our Wiggles,” he said. “And also, it’s just that friendship, that bond that we had. We were like brothers. And when one of your brothers is gone, it was really hard for quite a long time.”
While Page’s decision to leave the group at the peak of their fame was highly publicised, it was not a result of any bad blood - in fact, it was due to a series of health issues.
After a five-year break in which he was replaced by Sam Moran, the founding member briefly returned for a year in 2012 but was again replaced by Watkins - the first female Wiggle - who wore the yellow skivvy for nine years.
(From left): Lachlan Gillespie, Simon Pryce, Anthony Field and Emma Watkins of The Wiggles. Photo / Getty Images
Touching on how the entertainers felt when Moran controversially departed, followed by Watkins, Field said it was something the Wiggles found easier to navigate as they “knew that you can keep going” and the skivvies could be filled with new faces “as long as you come from the child perspective”.
Following the incorporation of Watkins into the group, the band once again reached popularity the same as their past glory days as their female Wiggle became a powerhouse brand in her own right.
The group went on to welcome Simon Pryce, who became the red Wiggle, and Lachlan Gillespie, who became the purple Wiggle.
Unfortunately, after nine years and a failed two-year marriage between Watkins and Gillespie, the star left the group, provoking sadness from fans.
She has since gone on to create her own show,Emma Memma.
Hot Potato: The Story of the Wiggles is now streaming on Prime Video.
