The Wiggles: ‘We were the ugliest boy band in the world’
From topping the Triple J Hottest 100 to collaborating with Peking Duck, the original Wiggles have never been cooler. In a rare shoot, the OG skivvy-clad superstars open up on why they are as bemused as anyone by their recent pop-culture resurgence.
Stellar
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The four original members of The Wiggles (from left) Anthony Field, Murray Cook, Greg Page and Jeff Fatt are as bemused as anyone by their recent pop-culture resurgence, having topped the coveted Triple J Hottest 100 in 2021 and captured the attention of artists as diverse as Michael Bublé and rapper Lil Nas X. Now, the OGs (who were once dubbed “the ugliest boy band in the world”) sit down with Stellar to discuss their new documentary Hot Potato: The Story Of The Wiggles, and reflect on how they went from recording a little album for preschoolers in the ’90s to becoming skivvy-clad global superstars
This shoot for Stellar is a bit of a change of pace from your usual Wiggly wardrobe of brightly coloured skivvies...
Anthony: [laughs] It was quite different. It was like if The Wiggles were in [the classic Mafia film] Goodfellas.
Murray: There was certainly less bright colours than we’re used to.
Anthony: We weren’t allowed to smile. And we were told definitely no Wiggly fingers – so that was a challenge for us.
Jeff: It was nice to get an outside view of what we should be wearing.
How would you describe your typical style when you’re not onstage?
Jeff: [laughs] Daggy!
Do you avoid wearing your signature skivvy colours when not performing? [Field is the Blue Wiggle, Cook is Red, Fatt is Purple and Page is Yellow.]
Murray: I did for a long time. I’ve relaxed that a bit because it doesn’t make a lot of difference. It’s more that, if I am wearing red, people will say, “Oh, that’s so cute that you still wear it.” It doesn’t really worry me, but I don’t have a lot of red in my wardrobe.
Jeff: I have stayed away from purple.
Greg: When I went to school, I wore a yellow skivvy. I had forgotten that until one of my school friends said, “It’s kind of funny that you ended up as the Yellow Wiggle.” I went back and looked at the old school photos, and there I am in a yellow skivvy. But, no, I don’t wear a lot of yellow now.
There had been talk of a collaboration with rapper Lil Nas X earlier this year. What’s the story with that, and do you find a lot of artists want to work with you?
Anthony: He tweeted a couple of times that he wanted to do a collaboration with us, but I think he was just stirring the pot. We did meet him backstage at The Falls festival [in Melbourne in December], which was great. People give him a hard time, but he’s a nice fellow. Michael Bublé said he’d like to be a Wiggle, that was pretty cool. [Bublé posted a picture with the band on Instagram in October last year, calling himself an “honorary member of The Wiggles”.]
Why do you think you are cool again?
Anthony: The original Wiggles are so daggy. That’s kind of what’s cool about it.
Murray: An element of it is, because we have been around for so long, the kids who grew up with us are the tastemakers and decide who’s cool and who’s not. And they do look back at it fondly. That’s why the OG Wiggles, when we toured last year, did well. But there’s a bizarreness to that tour: that we are playing to 20-somethings, and we are still playing ‘Rock-A-Bye Your Bear’.
Have you ever been propositioned by a parent from the audience?
Murray: There was a funny element in America; we did have some stalkers there for a while. We used to have to check into hotels under false names. Only in America!
What names did you use?
Murray: Mine was boring; I just used my dad’s name and middle name.
Anthony: Sam was Homer Simpson. And I was Carlos Gardel, who was a tango artist.
Jeff: I was Jackie Chan.
Murray: A couple of times, people at hotels were really excited that Jackie Chan was going to be checking in only to be pretty disappointed that it was just Jeff Wiggle.
The new Purple Wiggle, John Pearce, has been getting a bit of attention on TikTok but, Anthony, you were Cleo magazine’s Bachelor of the Year in 1999.
Anthony: [laughs] You’re going back a long way now. When we started, the originals –
I’m sure they won’t mind me saying this – an English newspaper called us “the ugliest boy band in the world”. Going to America recently, I would be talking pretty seriously about The Wiggles and everything we were doing, and all the journalists wanted to talk to John about his TikTok.
Do you think The Wiggles could outlive you all, continuing with an ever-changing line-up for decades to come?
Anthony: Over the years, we’ve proved it’s all about The Wiggles ethos and how we do things. Whoever is wearing the [skivvies] at the time just has to be mindful of the responsibility to provide the best children’s entertainment they can and with a smile on their face. It’s not as important as the Rolling Stones if Mick Jagger left.
Murray, you found retirement challenging. Given they were going through the same thing, were Greg and Jeff able to help you through that period?
Murray: It was a fairly solitary thing. I was quite lost for a few years after I left.
I questioned my decision. I got through it by finding other creative outlets. Looking back, it was a tough time because so much of my identity was as a Wiggle. I’ve come to realise that, as I’ve gone on, I’ll always be the original Red Wiggle. That’s how people know me, and people still stop me in the street to talk to me about it. I’m really proud of that and I embrace it.
Did entertaining other people’s kids ever come at the expense of your families?
Greg: Yes, and it was tough. You were on the other side of the world and there’s a milestone event back home that you’re missing. You just have to support where you can and show your love for your family in other ways when you’re there.
Murray: I did have one heartbreaking thing where my son once said he didn’t like music because that was what took Daddy away. That was when he was young, and he came to terms with it. My kids, they’re in their 20s now, and I don’t think they feel they really missed out on too much.
Anthony, you’re the last original Wiggle standing. Any plans to hand in your skivvy?
Anthony: We are about to go to Canada and the USA on tour. To me, it’s just playing music to the best audience in the world, so why would I give that up? But it’s been great seeing Murray, Jeff and Greg to do this documentary – I’ve seen more of them than I did in the original days.
Hot Potato: The Story Of The Wiggles premieres on October 24 on Prime Video.
Originally published as The Wiggles: ‘We were the ugliest boy band in the world’
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