The Tweenies was a much-loved children’s show in the 2000s that captivated children across the country with its colorful, puppet-like characters and quirky storylines.
The CBBC show, which aired from 1999 to 2002, was so popular that 80 per cent of British children aged between two and six watched it.
The Tweenies is set in a preschool and follows the adventures of four characters, Milo, Jake, Bella and Fizz, along with their friends Max and Judy and their dog Doodles.
But after more than two decades off the air, star Bob Golding, who played Milo and Max, has revealed a shocking secret that will no doubt leave fans stunned.
Bob confessed to The Sun that he and his co-stars Sally Preisig, Emma Weaver, Colleen Daley and Sinead Rushe were never actually inside the legendary suits.
The Tweenies was a much-loved children’s show in the 2000s that captivated children across the country with its colorful, puppet-like characters and quirky storylines.
The CBBC show, which ran from 1999 to 2002, was so popular that 80 per cent of British children aged between two and six watched it.
Actually, they were just voice actors.
Beneath the colorful, thick foam suits was a carefully selected range of “skin actors.”
He told the publication: ‘The skin actors would come in first to rehearse with the director what the content of the scene would be.
‘They were all five feet tall or less and very fit and obviously strong because the strain on the neck with those heads was enormous.
“So they would go in and rehearse without all the costumes on and just move around like actors.”
He revealed they would learn the songs and dances from musical directors Graham Pike and Liz Kitchen, before watching the skin actors perform the scenes a week later.
The skin actors would then perform during filming while lending their voices.
The Tweenies is set in a preschool and follows the adventures of four characters: Milo, Jake, Bella and Fizz.
But after more than two decades off air, the character’s star Bob Golding, who played Milo and Max, has revealed a shocking secret that has left fans stunned by the revelation.
Bob confessed to The Sun that he and his co-stars Sally Preisig, Emma Weaver, Colleen Daley and Sinead Rushe were never actually inside the legendary suits.
Bob also revealed a unique system that created a more expressive and animated look for the costumes.
Inside the heavy suits was a secret mechanism called the Animatronic Performance Control System.
It consisted of pedals and small wheels at the ends of the gloves that could be adjusted. To move the jaw, there was a sensor inside the thumb.
Bob revealed that it took the actors months to perfect the system.
The preteens were Bella, Milo, Fizz and Jake.
Bella, who was purple, was typically the confident character and leader of the group and was usually involved in more mischievous stories.
Milo, whose suit was red, spent his days burning off energy and cheering on his teammates.
Fizz, who was yellow, was a sweet but sometimes vain person who loved to sing and dance ballet.
They were just the voice actors. Beneath the colorful, thick foam suits were a number of “skin actors.”
And the youngest of the group was Jake, who was blue and generally the most curious and relaxed.
The group, along with their dogs Doodles and Izzles, spent their days in their bright playroom that featured an outdoor play area.
They were cared for and guided by caregivers Max and Judy, whose full faces were never seen.
The show’s iconic theme song featured the chorus, “Hey, hey, are you ready to play?”