Harley Bird is stepping down as the voice of Peppa Pig after 13 years 🐷
She's the longest-serving Peppa!
Harley Bird has announced her decision to step down as the voice of Peppa Pig. The 18-year-old, who began voicing the world's favourite pig at the age of five, is the longest-serving actor to voice the character.
Harley, who is being replaced by nine-year-old Amelie Bea Smith, said, "Becoming the voice of Peppa at the age of five was the start of an incredible journey, and I'll never forget my time on the show.
"The people that work on Peppa Pig have become like a family to me and they've given me some unforgettable memories. I wish Amelie the best of luck in the role and am looking forward to starting the next chapter in my life."
Peppa Pig co-creators Neville Astley and Mark Baker added, "As our longest-standing Peppa, Harley's award-winning contribution to the show over the past 13 years has been tremendous, making her a key part of the success of Peppa Pig."
Amelie, who starred in seven episodes of EastEnders in January 2018, will become the fourth voice of Peppa, after Lily Snowden-Fine first voiced her for the first series in 2004, and Cecily Bloom took over in 2006.
Scroll through to see all the TV shows we miss from our childhood...
The Proud Family (2001 - 2005)
The Proud Family was one of the best cartoons that Disney Channel ever produced because it was hilarious and chaotic. It was a family that we all wanted to be a part of at some point in our lives. Also, the sassy grandma was the BOMB DOT COM!
Even Stevens (2000 - 2003)
Even Stevens gave us Shia LaBeouf (we are very grateful for that) and it's one of the OG Disney shows of a millennial's childhood. It ran for three seasons, earned its own movie in 2003…
Wizards of Waverly place (2007 - 2012)
This is actually Disney's longest running live action show. It launched the career of the most followed person on Instagram and Justin Bieber's former GF, Selena Gomez. The show was truly a classic.
Lilo and Stitch (2003 - 2006)
The films were adorable and great, then the shows made us fall in love with Lilo and Stitch even more. Honestly, they were friendship goals! They also taught us that O'hana means family.
Lizzie McGuire (2001 - 2004)
Let's face it, Hillary Duff was our childhood. The show is the most critically acclaimed show Disney has ever produced. It earned itself a movie even though the show was on air for two seasons. We bet you, you always wanted your own version of cartoon Lizzie, because we did.
Recess (1997 - 2001)
It had everything you could possibly need in a show. It was literally the kids version of Friends and we spent our childhood's wishing we were cool enough to be an Ashley.
Kim Possible (2002 - 2007)
We literally miss everything about this show, when Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable came together then anything and everything is possible. The show was filled with a mixture of the weirdest things, mole rats who could talk, Fiery Nachos who wanted to take over the world and how can we forget when Kim and Ron got together… that's still weird.
The Suite Life of Zack and Cody (2005-2008) and Suite Life on Deck (2008-2011)
Honestly, truly. A CLASSIC.
Everyone was in love with these twins and they will go down in history as one of the best TV duo ever.
From causing havoc at the Tipton Hotel to causing even more drama on the deck, the show was so entertaining and it gave us ICONIC episodes like That's So Suite Life of Hannah Montana - cause let's be honest crossover episodes were the highlight of any show!
Hannah Montana (2006 - 2011)
Like it doesn't need an intro…
The show was arguably the most successful Disney original ever. The show had four incredible seasons, four albums which became the soundtracks of our childhood, two world tours, a film and it launched the career of Miley Cyrus.
Phineas and Ferb (2007 - 2015)
They're the adorable and hilarious. With only 104 days in the summer, Phineas and Ferb made every day count. Their sister Candace, voiced by Ashley Tisdale, is always trying to tan and live her life but her brothers' antics and her boy drama is getting in the way (so, relatable).
That’s so Raven (2003 - 2007)
Everyone's favourite sassy psychic and her crazy family and friends never failed to put a smile on our face. The theme song was a classic and you can't hide from the fact that you know every word.
Harley, who took over the role in 2009 and won a BAFTA for her performance as the piggy in 2011, appeared on This Morning in December 2019 and hinted that she could be stepping down from the role then.
She said, "I've been doing Peppa for so long, whatever happens with it now, it's been so much fun. This is my 13th year," adding that she'd had a callback to get into RADA Drama School in London.
Good luck to Harley and Amelie!