The Teletubbies are back - with Jane Horrocks to voice new character the 'tubby phone'

The remake is due to air on CBeebies later this year, almost 20 years after the characters first arrived on TV screens

Jane Horrocks recording ‘Teletubbies’. The show is returning with the addition of a ‘tubby phone’ (PA)

The classic TV show Teletubbies is returning to the small-screen with the addition of a must-have 21st-century gadget – a mobile-style phone, voiced by Jane Horrocks.

The remake is due to air on CBeebies later this year, almost 20 years after the characters first arrived on TV screens.

The Absolutely Fabulous actress will voice new character the “tubby phone”, a gadget which is said to be catapulting Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po into the modern day.

Harry Potter star Jim Broadbent and DJ and presenter Fearne Cotton have also signed up for the show.

Producers said the new series would feature the same characters and style as the original, but with a “refreshed and contemporary look”.

The tubby phone, which will be fixed in the Teletubbies’ dome, is one of a number of “new elements” being introduced, although it has not usurped the TV – the creatures will still have antennas on their heads and TV screens on their stomachs.

Stand-up comedian and Eric and Ernie actor Daniel Rigby will narrate the new series.