Sam Moran is taking on The Wiggles at their own game.
The ousted yellow Wiggle has inked a deal to front his own kids’ TV show for Foxtel’s Nick Jr this year.
The new program will see Moran returning to doing what he loves best – entertaining kids through song and dance. It will also set him up in direct competition with his former employers, whose programs regularly air on Foxtel’s Disney Jr and still feature Moran when he was part of the group.
“I don’t see it that way (as competing). I think the more quality entertainment that’s out there for children the better,” he said. Continue reading »
Everybody Clap! Everybody Sing! The Wiggles first 21 years exclusively on Bio
As the original Wiggles hand over their skivvies to the next generation of star entertainers, Foxtel’s Bio channel is exclusively premiering Everybody Clap! Everybody Sing! a local production taking a look back at the first 21 years of The Wiggles at 8.30pm on Monday, December 10, 2012.
Everybody Clap! Everybody Sing! is a one hour documentary, hosted and narrated by Gretel Killeen, explaining the story of The Wiggles’ phenomenal success. Continue reading »
It’s the toot toot chugga chugga Big Red Car that made them famous and it could soon be parked in your driveway.
The Wiggles - have decided to sell their prized “skivvy red” Volkswagen Beetle cabriolet used for promotional appearances on eBay to raise money for the SIDS and Kids charity. Continue reading »
Sam Moran has responded to his sudden departure from The Wiggles to make way for former yellow skivvy Greg Page.
The video above, can only be considered a class act, amid some truly horrible behaviour and comments.
Anthony Field was completely uncomfortable answering questions about Sam’s sudden departure when grilled by Channel 9 entertainment editor Richard Wilkins on The Today Show.
When Wilkins asked the hard questions about the departure of Sam Moran and the return of original Wiggle Greg Page, Field responded, “What about Sam? Sam is … what do you mean?”
He then tried to explain “His contract came to an end. Do you go on with Sam? Do we come back with Greg? The energy felt right, that’s all”.
Anthony Field was all over the place when asked if Sam was an employee, not a stakeholder. “I had nothing to do with it, Richard”.
“Sam was an employee,” Wilkins reiterated.
Anthony: “Yeah, Sam was doing a job. If it was a musical he was doing the role of … um …. ahh.”
Richard: “He was a hired hand.”
Anthony: “Yeah”
Richard: “I gather this was news to him.”
Anthony: “Yeah it was news to him.”
Richard: “How did he take it?”
Anthony: “I haven’t spoken to him. I don’t know.”
Moran was allegedly terminated from his job as lead singer and offered a payout of about $60,000: a little more than four months of his reported $200,000-a-year wage.
Despite being a loyal servant for almost 10 years – five as the international face of the children’s super group – Moran was forced to accept less than 1 per cent of the band’s reported annual earnings. It is understood his representations for greater compensation began early last year. He was consistently turned down.
It is unlikely Moran’s wife Lyn, who met her husband when she was playing Dorothy the Dinosaur, will return to perform. She is caring for the couple’s daughter, Eloise, who turned two the day her dad was dumped.
Kylie Minogue and The Wiggles will be inducted into this year’s ARIA Hall of Fame.
Minogue will accept her award in person, adding much-needed star power to the awards, held on November 27 at Allphones Arena in Sydney.
The ARIAs will be telecast on Channel 9′s youth-oriented digital station Go! from 7.30pm.
Minogue has sold 68 million records since launching her music career with her No.1 hit Locomotion in 1987.
The Wiggles have sold 30 million albums and DVDs and are enjoying their 20th anniversary this year. “It’s such an honour to be in inducted in the same year as Kylie,” blue Wiggle Anthony Field said. “We’re both proudly Australian. When we go overseas everyone knows Kylie is Australian and everyone knows the Wiggles are Australian.
‘Purple Wiggle’ Jeff Fatt is recovering after emergency heart surgery.
The 57-year-old had the operation in Sydney yesterday, after being diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat.
The children’s performer has now been fitted with a pacemaker.
He’s expected to make a full recovery.
Jeff’s heart condition was discovered on Thursday, after he blacked out.
The Wiggles are a children’s group formed in Sydney, Australia in 1991. Their original members were Anthony Field, Phillip Wilcher, Murray Cook, Greg Page, and Jeff Fatt.
Field and Fatt were members of the Australian pop band The Cockroaches in the 1980s who had hits including She’s The One and Hey Let’s Go.
Join Anthony, Murray, Sam and Jeff for Wiggly Waffle on ABC For Kids on 2 this December. The fab four of fun will present a special hour of singing, dancing, music and games, intermixed with classic series and animations, including Baby Antonio’s Circus, Postman Pat and Franny’s Feet. After nearly twenty years, The Wiggles are still the number one choice for Australian pre-schoolers and their carers.
Check out the final 2006 show of Today on Friday where they’ll be having a Christmas party for some kids who need cheering up, a visit from Santa and a special live performance by the new look Wiggles.
The Wiggles have sadly announced today that Greg Page, also known as the Yellow Wiggle, is unable to continue performing with The Wiggles due to a chronic condition and has reached the decision to leave the group.
Greg has been suffering symptoms for many months, affecting his ability to perform. The condition is related to blood pressure and while in no way life threatening it affects his balance, breathing and coordination at unpredictable times and with varying severity.
Greg has discovered he is genetically predisposed to this condition and that he now needs to focus on managing his health.
Greg is a founding member of The Wiggles and has devoted 15 years to the group. The whole band, crew, and all Wiggles staff, have expressed their sadness and their wishes for Greg to overcome his health problems.
The Wiggles this year have continued their worldwide success, just completing a tour of the US, and have announced Greg’s replacement with his understudy Sam Moran to ensure the continued future of one of Australia’s most successful entertainment troupes.
“This emotional decision was one which was very difficult, as I have dedicated almost half my life to the Wiggles, and with a question mark over my health, I feel that this is the right decision. I will miss The Wiggles and the other guys very much, as well as seeing all the children in the audiences that we perform in front of. I wish the guys continued success, and welcome Sam Moran with open arms to the Yellow Skivvy – I know he is a great performer, and is well equipped to be the Yellow Wiggle,” Greg said.
Sam has been performing with The Wiggles for the past nine years and as understudy has performed over 150 shows as the Yellow Wiggle. Educated at the Conservatorium of Music, Sam has been a Wiggly dancer, Wiggly band member and will be a wonderful addition to the group.
Murray Cook (Red Wiggle) said, “I know I speak for all The Wiggles and our staff in expressing our sadness at Greg’s leaving. The four of us started from humble beginnings 15 years ago and we’ve been through many adventures together. We will miss Greg as a superb singer, performer and songwriter but mostly we’ll miss him on the road as a friend and ally. We wish him well in dealing with his illness and in future.”
“We welcome Sam in his place in the Wiggles. We know first hand that he is an extremely talented performer and is already well-loved by our Wiggly audience”.
The Wiggles will continue to tour the world, record and film new DVDs with Sam Moran as the new Yellow Wiggle.
Popular children’s entertainers The Wiggles will announce changes to their line-up on Thursday amid growing concerns over the health of Yellow Wiggle Greg Page.
The Wiggles have scheduled a “major announcement” in Perth ahead of the start of their new national tour.
The announcement relates to “members of the group”, said Australia’s highest-earning entertainers, comprising Page, Jeff Fatt, Anthony Field and Murray Cook.
It follows reports of a mystery illness suffered by Page, 34, who has been undergoing medical examinations since June after experiencing bouts of fainting and lethargy.
Since a double hernia operation in December last year, Page has often been absent from the veteran children’s supergroup, handing yellow skivvy-wearing duties to understudy Sam Moran.
Paul Field, the group’s manager and brother of Blue Wiggle Anthony, recently told AAP that Page would be out of action indefinitely.
As well as missing scheduled shows, Page has also missed key Australian industry events, including the Seven Network’s 50 Years of Television show and the 2006 Australian Recording Industry Awards.
“It is frustrating for Greg and his family,” Field said early this month.
Sam Moran is taking on The Wiggles at their own game.
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