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Teletubbies baby actor announces pregnancy – and now everyone is feeling extremely old

Those who remember watching the kid’s show have been filled with existential dread

Jacob Stolworthy
Monday 16 October 2023 11:50 BST
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Teletubbies opening titles

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The actor who played the Teletubbies sun baby has announced her pregnancy – and people are feeling extremely old.

Last week, Jessica Smith, who played the laughing baby whose face could be seen at the start of every episode of the kid’s TV show, announced the happy news on Instagram.

In a post sharing her sonogram photos, Smith, who is 28, wrote: “When two becomes three,” which prompted messages of congratulations from her followers.

Once news of her pregnancy spread, however, many people were faced with an existential crisis over the fact that the “sun baby” from Teletubbies was about to have a baby of her own.

Smith made her debut on the series in March 1997 over the narration: “Over the hills and far away, Teletubbies come to play.”

The original run of Teletubbies ended in 2001, before a reboot arrived in 2014 featuring a different baby.

“Here’s a reminder that you’re old,” one person wrote on X/Twitter while sharing a post announcing the news, with another adding: “The BABY in teletubbies is pregnant?? that’s it! who wants to get married this saturday? I’m so serious.”

One user added: “I kinda don’t like how old we’re getting but yay congrats her,” with many more sharing messages featuring funny memes and images hinting at their mixed feelings toward the news.

Find more reactions below.

Elsewhere in the comments, when one follower asked her whether she “ever got to visit Teletubbyland” back in the day, Smith replied: “I didn’t get to visit.”

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Smith previously shared a photo of herself alongside a young girl nine years ago, whom many believed to be her daughter at the time. It was, in fact, her niece.

Several years ago, Smith revealed she was the Teletubbies baby, writing on Facebook: “I’ve decided it’s time to tell everyone. I used to hide it but after a lot of encouragement from my friends at university, I’ve gained the confidence to come out with it.

“I am the sun from Teletubbies. There have been quite a few people pretending to be the sun but only I could tell you the real story.”

She went on to explain that she happened to be in hospital for a check-up the very same day the Teletubbies producer had asked if there were “any smiley babies”.

Smith said: “While recording my dad held a teddy bear behind the camera to get me to laugh, and rolled a toy racing car to get me to look down at the camera, and it obviously worked.”

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