The Teletubbies are undoubtedly one of the most well-known children's programmes ever as people were amazed by the four colourful aliens - Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po.
However, some shocking scandals have surfaced over the TV show's history.
The unusual beings first hit screens on March 31, 1997, and captivated young viewers with their gibberish language, television on their stomachs, and insect-like antenna poking out of their heads.
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Since its premiered 25 years ago, the Teletubbies has been viewed by more than 1 billion children worldwide, delighting generations of kids.
Looking back, the show was rather peculiar as children watched in awe as the four colourful characters went about their lives in Tubbyland, hoovering with their cleaner Noo-Noo, eating Tubby Custard and Tubby Toast, all the while being watched over by a cute Sun Baby.
The show has been translated into 45 different languages and has won numerous awards, including two BAFTAs.
And the show's success continues as 42 Teletubbies toys are also sold every minute worldwide.
But behind-the-scenes, dark secrets lingered, which marred the show's innocence, with tales of actors being fired from the show, as well as a tragic death.
Here, we take a look at what happened to the actors who played the original Teletubbies…
Tinky Winky
The largest and oldest Teletubby was purple-coloured Tinky Winky, who sadly caused the most controversy during his kids' TV show tenure.
Some disgruntled viewers claimed the character was gay, as he carried a red handbag, with a US evangelist warning parents that the loveable purple alien was "the gay pride colour", while his triangle antenna was the "gay pride symbol".
Original Tinky Winky actor Dave Thompson left the show after the first few episodes following "creative differences". It was later reported that the show's production company had "implied" the character was gay.
Dave said he was "proud" of his time in the role and went on to have a successful comedy career.
He was replaced by Simon Shelton, a trained ballet dancer and choreographer.
Simon said he received fan mail from kids and parents and said the speculation surrounding Tinky Winky's sexual orientation was "really quite silly".
Sadly, he died from hypothermia in January 2018 at just 52.
Dipsy
The bright green Teletuubby was a firm favourite with young viewers and was played by comedian John Simmit, who said a reggae track influenced his performance.
"Dipsy would say, 'Papa Come Papa Come To Po', which was actually my take on a classic reggae rhythm track called The Whip," he explained.
"And I'd slip in Jamaican dance moves, a Bogle there and a Tatty here. People spotted my little wink to my culture, and I'm proud of that," he shared.
John also said wearing the heavy costumes for hours on end was an unpleasant experience, and he had to wear special underwear to absorb all the sweat.
"When we were out of costume, you'd have to turn your face the other way and speak to us at a distance because we were reeking and so sweaty you could wring us out. Huge props to our dressers for putting up with us!" he joked.
Laa-Laa
The yellow alien with the curly antenna is the loveable Laa-Laa, the second youngest of the Teletubbies.
The character was played by trained dancer Nikky Smedley, who landed the role after replying to a newspaper ad asking for actors to star in a new kids' TV show.
She was one of the original actors to stay in the role for the first four-year run of the show.
Nikky previously explained that the hot and heavy suits were a nightmare, as they had to be inside them for up to 11 hours a day.
She left the show and began working for Ragdoll Productions and was involved in choreographing other hit kids' shows, including In The Night Garden.
Po
The baby of the Teletubbies family was the red alien Po, who was best known for her circular-shaped antenna and her love for bubbles and her prized possession - her scooter.
Actress Pui Fan Lee landed the role of Po shortly after leaving drama school, and she was the star of the iconic picture taken during a break in filming, showing her laid down on the fake grass while still dressed as her character.
Pui was a successful actress and had an alter-ego where she dressed up as a Teletubby and hit the headlines when she starred in lesbian sex scenes for the Channel 4 show Metrosexuality.
"Yes, I was Po, but I am an actress, and the role looked interesting. I didn't take the lesbian role to be deliberately controversial," she explained.
Pui returned to kids' TV and was one of the presenters of the much-loved CBeebies series Sow Me, Show Me, alongside Chris Jarvis.
She also had a small role in Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason in 2004 and 28 Weeks Later, where she played a zombie called Helen.
Pui also played Dr Fremantle in EastEnders in 2019, and her scenes involved the autism diagnosis of Mick and Linda Carter's son Ollie.
Sun Baby
The original Sun Baby was played by Jess Smith, who was hired by producers after she was being weighed in hospital.
The adorable tot would pop up at the beginning of every episode to wake the Teletubbies up and would also appear at the end to mark sundown.
Jess played Sun Baby from 1997 to 2001, and a new baby replaced her called Berry when the show was revived in 2015.
She revealed that to make her laugh and squeal, her dad was in front of her playing with toys while she was being filmed.
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