Add Category
The Emma Watkins era of The Wiggles is coming to an end, but her impact will be felt for generations to come.
As the Yellow Wiggle, Watkins entertained millions of children across the world.
But her time in the yellow skivvy involved more than just what we saw on stage or on TV.
Behind the scenes Watkins was a trailblazer for an Australian institution, a source for gossip in the media and above all else, brought one of the world's most successful children's bands into a new age.
'Elvis of The Wiggles' paved the way for the future
From their inception in 1991, The Wiggles were a male band.
When the original Yellow Wiggle Greg Page first left the band in 2006, he was replaced by Sam Moran.
For another six years the all-male line-up continued, with Page returning for one year.
Then Watkins claimed her slice of history.
After being with the group in several roles, including as a dancer and as the character Wags the Dog, Watkins was announced as the third Yellow Wiggle in 2013.
While there had been some female band members during international tours over the previous 22 years, Watkins was the first official female Wiggle.
It was a move that paid off big time for The Wiggles, who had unearthed a star.
Founding member Anthony Field, the Blue Wiggle, told Australian Story in 2018 that Watkins's popularity was one of the band's greatest assets.
"Emma is the most popular Wiggle by far," he said.
Fellow band member Lachlan Gillespie described her popularity as "incredible" when discussing The Wiggles' live shows.
"She presents as this really open person that children instantly recognise and warm to," he said in 2018.
"That's why 90 per cent of the crowd is dressed in yellow. We just sit back and laugh because it's quite incredible."
Off the back of this popularity, Watkins was given her own ABC Kids television show, Emma.
Her popularity has led to more women being brought into the Wiggles fold.
Tsehay Hawkins, a 15-year-old Ethiopian-born Australian dancing champion who joined the group in 2021, will replace Watkins as the next Yellow Wiggle.
Kelly Hamilton and Evie Ferris also became part of an expanded Wiggles line-up in 2021, appearing with Hawkins and male cast member John Pearce in the YouTube series, Fruit Salad TV.
In-band love story sparked a media frenzy
Watkins and Gillespie joined The Wiggles as full-time members in 2013, replacing most of the old guard, who had retired.
The pair started a relationship that led to their marriage in 2016.
Their separation two years later was a major story across Australian media, as the pair were heavily involved in production during that time.
As the media commentary grew louder, Watkins and Gillespie seemed more focused on their work than anything else.
"We're filming every single day and we recorded 100 songs in two weeks," Watkins told the ABC at the time.
"So when all the media broke I just kept thinking, 'I can't read that, I've got to read lyrics for a song.'
"I think being busy has been very helpful."
The pair remained friends, and the band continued to gain fans.
"The media does really doubt our affection and they don't write about that. But we genuinely care about each other," Watkins said.
Using her platform to highlight issues affecting many
While Watkins's success on the stage can be measured in album sales and streaming views, she also helped raise awareness for endometriosis and Australia's deaf community.
Her battles with endometriosis have been well documented, with the Yellow Wiggle having to take time away from the band for surgery in 2018.
"I urge anyone suffering with the symptoms of endometriosis to put your health first and get a diagnosis so that you are in the best position to manage this crippling disease," she wrote on social media before surgery.
It was a move which brought praise across the board.
Endometriosis Association Queensland's Jessica Taylor said Watkins's message to her fans about the condition was a positive step for thousands of women who live with it.
"It's huge — anything in the media will reach people. It will encourage people to understand this isn't normal, and this isn't OK," Ms Taylor said.
"Emma coming out and saying that will encourage a younger generation to talk about it."
Sign language is also a major focus for the outgoing Yellow Wiggle, who cited her PhD studies in the field as a contributing factor in her decision to leave the band.
"I'm really looking forward to devoting more time and energy to focus on completing my PhD which incorporates my ongoing passion for sign language, dance and film editing, and to having more time to work with the deaf community," Watkins said during her announcement.
Watkins grew up with two friends who were deaf, which encouraged her to learn Auslan and incorporate it into The Wiggles.
In an interview she did with Australian non-profit group The Deaf Society in 2016, she said bringing sign language into the shows was key to being able to connect with children who had hearing or verbal difficulties.
"I meet deaf children and children that use sign language, whether they're autistic or mute or non-verbal, all the time," she said.
"So that's been really helpful for me to be able to connect with."
The Wiggles now have music videos of their most popular songs with Auslan interpretation, including Hot Potato and Toot Toot, Chugga Chugga Big Red Car.