Red Wiggle Simon Pryce: ‘Performing with The Wiggles is so physical’

Simon Pryce takes The Wiggles songs to heart when it comes to his own health and fitness — going with less servings of those hot potatoes and a few more fruit salads.

Here’s something you might not know about everyone’s favourite childrens’ entertainers, The Wiggles: those shows can be bloody hard work.

Think of it like playing a high-energy sport, only almost every day for weeks at a time.

That’s without counting all the practice and rehearsals required. And just for an extra challenge, you have to look happy about it the entire time, too.

Just ask Simon Pryce, who has been pulling on the famous red skivvy for years, has just released a new album ReWiggled, and is currently touring.

He tells me doing the Hot Potato or the Fruit Salad is far harder than you might think.

“The work I do performing with The Wiggles is so physical,” he says.

“We are up singing, moving and dancing, doing up to four shows a day, and we will do that for weeks on end.

“If I wasn’t taking care of my body there is no way I could maintain that workload.”

Red Wiggle Simon Pryce believes what you eat is very important. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

The answer, he says, is pretty simple. To put it in The Wiggles’ terms, it means less servings of those hot potatoes, and a few more fruit salads.

We know that health starts in the kitchen, not the gym, and so Pryce is always conscious of his diet, and ensuring he’s getting the right nutrients and energy needed for all those shows and tours.

“Exercise has always been a big part of my life. I’ve been doing it from a young age,” he says.

“But the food I eat is probably the biggest part of taking care of my body.

“I always think that food is about 80 per cent of my body’s health and wellbeing, and exercise is 20 per cent.

“For me, there is also a knock-on effect. If I’m not eating healthy nutritious food then I’ll feel sluggish, which makes it harder to get up, get moving and to exercise.”

Simon Pryce on...

Morning routines

“In the past I would have an espresso and put my training gear on to get ready for exercise. But these days I have a 14-month-old boy, Asher, who normally wakes my wife Lauren and I up early.

“So now I drink my water, warm up his milk, make our coffees and then we all sit and have our drinks together.”

Simon Pryce says performing with The Wiggles is a very physical job.

Brain training

“Physical exercise is the main way that I take care of my mind. Exercise has always helped

me deal with any anxiety or stress that I may be feeling and gives me greater mental clarity.

It ultimately puts me in a better mood.”

His best advice

‘It might not be your dream job, but you never know who you might meet or what opportunities could arise from it.’

“Those words have stayed with me forever and they are so true. Most of the opportunities I have had in my life have been because I was just willing to say yes and give something a go.

This has given me so many more opportunities in life that I wouldn’t ordinarily have had.”

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Originally published as Red Wiggle Simon Pryce: ‘Performing with The Wiggles is so physical’