The Tweenies was a much-loved children’s series of the noughties that captivated children across the country with its brightly coloured, puppet-like characters and quirky storylines.
The programme on CBBC, which aired from 1999 to 2002, was so popular that 80 percent of British children aged between two and six watched it.
The Tweenies is set in a nursery school 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 away, lead actor Bob Golding, who played the roles of Milo and Max, has revealed a shocking secret that will undoubtedly surprise fans.
Bob admitted to The Sun that he and fellow lead actors Sally Preisig, Emma Weaver, Colleen Daley and Sinead Rushe never actually wore the legendary costumes.
The Tweenies was a much-loved children’s show from the noughties that captivated the nation’s children with its brightly coloured, puppet-like characters and quirky storylines
The CBBC show, which aired from 1999 to 2002, was so popular that 80 percent of British children aged two to six watched it
Instead, they were merely voice actors.
Beneath the colorful, thick foam suits was a carefully selected group of ‘skin actors’.
He told the publication: ‘The actors in the skin first went to rehearse with the director about the content of the scenes.
‘They were all 5 feet or shorter, very fit and clearly strong, because the pressure on your neck with those heads was enormous.
“So they went in and rehearsed that without all the costumes on and just walked around like actors.”
He said they would learn the songs and dances from musical directors Graham Pike and Liz Kitchen, before watching the actors perform the scenes a week later.
The actors who provided the skin care would then perform during the filming, providing the voices.
The Tweenies was set in a nursery school and followed the adventures of four characters, Milo, Jake, Bella and Fizz
But after more than two decades of absence, character star Bob Golding, who played Milo and Max, has revealed a shocking secret about the set, leaving fans stunned by the revelation
Bob admitted to The Sun that he and his character co-stars Sally Preisig, Emma Weaver, Colleen Daley and Sinead Rushe never actually got to wear the legendary costumes
Bob also unveiled a unique system that gave the costumes a more expressive and vibrant look.
Inside the heavy suits was a secret mechanism called the Performance Animatronic Control System.
It consisted of foot pedals and small wheels on the ends of the gloves that could be adjusted. To move the jaw, there was a sensor in the thumb.
Bob said it took months for the actors to master the system.
The tweenies consisted of Bella, Milo, Fizz and Jake.
Bella, who was purple in color, was typically the confident and leading character of the group and was usually involved in the more mischievous storylines.
Milo, whose suit was red, spent his days burning off energy and cheering up his friends.
Fizz, who was yellow in color, was a kind but sometimes vain person who loved to sing and dance ballet.
They were just the voice actors. Underneath the colorful, thick foam suits were a series of “skin actors”
And the youngest of the group was Jake, who was blue in color and was generally the most curious and relaxed.
The group, along with their dogs Doodles and Izzles, spent their days in their bright playroom with an outdoor play area.
They were cared for and guided by caregivers Max and Judy, whose faces were never fully seen.
The show’s iconic theme song featured the chorus, “Hey, hey, are you ready to play?”