The Wiggles still hot potatoes with the kids

FOR 17 years, Paul Paddick has been part of one of Australia's most successful exports, The Wiggles.

FOR 17 years, Paul Paddick has been part of one of Australia's most successful exports, The Wiggles.

IF you'd asked the Port Augusta-born SA College of Advanced Education graduate where he thought his career was headed when he packed his bags for the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, he would have said anywhere but dressing up as a pirate.

Paddick got to know "blue Wiggle", Anthony, after being cast in a Sydney production of the musical West Side Story.

Paddick's girlfriend at the time shared a flat with Anthony and when he was forced to take a month off to recover from a hernia operation, Paddick willingly filled in.

Soon after he was given the regular gig as Captain Feathersword.

"As far as I was concerned, I was going to be a Shakespearean actor or in movies," Paddick said.

"I would never have put this as my life's course.

"I was still auditioning at the time for TV dramas but this sort of took over and I saw the value of what it was.

"We sing about good health and nutrition so parents see value in that, and the kids love it even if they're not sure why." He says the freedom to improvise on a daily basis keeps his passion for acting alive - something he thinks would have waned if he was performing the same role day in and day out.

"In a musical it's the same thing every night and I'm a bit of a lout at heart so this is perfect," he said.

"I've been able to write song lyrics, which I wouldn't have got the opportunity to do otherwise."

The 44-year-old has also performed for some of the world's biggest stars including Robert De Niro, Sarah Jessica Parker, Chris Rock and James Hetfield, lead singer of heavy metal band Metallica.

"I began singing Quack a Doodly-Doo to the Enter Sandman tune. He (Hetfield) stood up in this crowd of tiny little people and did his rock fingers and shouted 'yeah'," he recalled.

But performing for Australian audiences is where the biggest reward comes. "It's nice to see people in the crowd that I've worked with in the past or gone to school with," he said.

The Wiggles hold the distinction of being the most watched live act at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, wowing more than 200,000 concert goers over 42 performances and 14 tours - both records.

Their closest rival is pop singer P!nk who has drawn just over 90,000 revellers to her concerts.

"It's a huge honour," original Wiggle Jeff Fatt, 57, said. "You are always chuffed by those things."

After 20 years in the business, Fatt says the group is blessed for having endured for so long.

"I think there is a natural chemistry between The Wiggles, and the grounding in child psychology helps," he said.

"We've always said 'what's in it for the child?' and pitched it at their level. We've never talked down to them."

There is no sign of The Wiggles juggernaut slowing up as the group continues to perform and produce a swag of learning tools for kids. They spend seven months of the year performing live concerts (they will tour Adelaide again in September/October in a circus-style big-top tent) and at least two months shooting videos and recording songs.

"We never had any intention to do concerts at the beginning so it's all been very organic," Jeff said.

"We've always said we will continue to do it until we stop enjoying it."