Peppa Pig Is Leaving the Show and Everyone Is Freaking Out
Peppa Pig star Harley Bird is stepping down after more than a decade on the show.
She will be replaced by actress Amelie Bea Smith beginning in February.
It's time to say "cheerio" to Peppa Pig as we know her.
The actress who has voiced the beloved cartoon character for the past 13 years is officially stepping down. Since the long-running children's series first premiered in 2004, Peppa has delighted millions of toddlers with the help of multiple British voice stars—but Harley Bird was by far the most prominent. The 18-year-old joined the show in 2007 and can be heard in 185 episodes.
"Becoming the voice of Peppa Pig at the age of 5 was the start of an incredible journey and I’ll never forget my time on the show," Harley said in a statement. "The people that work on Peppa Pig have become like a family to me and they’ve given me some unforgettable memories. I … am looking forward to starting the next chapter in my life."
The young actress will be replaced by 9-year-old Amelie Bea Smith, beginning with the new Valentine's Day episode in February.
"We're delighted to welcome Amelie to the Peppa Pig voice cast and [we're] confident that she will continue the strong legacy of the previous Peppa voice actors," co-creators Neville Astley and Mark Baker said in a statement.
But not everyone is excited about the change. Since preschoolers don't typically use Twitter, it was adults who flooded the social platform with their disappointed reactions—and it's actually kind of hilarious.
*punches a hole in the wall, falls to knees* WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS 2020
— E (@Gazellionaire_) February 1, 2020
I’m devastated... My students and I love peppa pig 😭
— Moní ✨ (@moneycaxo) February 1, 2020
Some joked about the piglet as if she's the Queen.
Peppa has abdicated. Long live the new Peppa.
— Swearsehole (@iammattgodfrey) January 31, 2020
And one person even compared Peppa's departure to Brexit.
First Brexit and now Pexit🙉
Can't cope😭😭😭😭😭😭— James Gorman #FBPE (@Gorman_JG) January 31, 2020
The good news is, most of Peppa's fans will probably be too young to notice that anything has changed.
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