Teletubbies interview with Jane Horrock

Jane Horrocks is the voice of the Tubby Phone in the new Teletubbies.

Published: 19 October 2015
It was such a success first time round and I am sure that people will be really excited about seeing it come back again. It’s hilarious and I think it just appeals to adults as much as it does children.
— Jane Horrocks

What’s your character in Teletubbies?
I play the Tubby Phone in the new series of the Teletubbies and it is probably the most unusual character I have played! I normally do the voices for animals or insects, a whole variety of living creatures, so playing an object is probably even a first for me!

The Tubby Phone has a personality of its own and that’s what’s exciting to the Teletubbies because they can’t wait to find which one of them is going to be spoken to or instructed to do something in play or dance.

When the Tubby Phone rings, it flashes the colour corresponding to the Teletubby it is calling. They then press that colour and the Tubby Phone invites them to dance or conga. They have great fun doing that!

What attracted you to be part of the Teletubbies?
I am very excited to be in the Teletubbies and especially because it has got a whole new feel to it which is lovely. It was such a success first time round and I am sure that people will be really excited about seeing it come back again. It’s hilarious and I think it just appeals to adults as much as it does children.

Did you watch Teletubbies with your children when they were young?
I did watch Teletubbies when my children were growing up and I remember Tubby Toast and Tubby Custard, very well.

How does recording a voiceover differ to other styles of acting?
You’re a bit freer to do things in voiceovers. I have done a variety of things not often using my own accent and sometimes that’s really liberating. If I am in a series and I’m doing lots of different characters that’s lots of fun. You don’t get that opportunity very often in film or television.

How did you choose the voice for the Tubby Phone?
When it came to choosing what voice I was going to do, I thought it would be a good idea to stick with my own accent because I think there’s sort of warmth about the Lancashire accent and it’s quite different from the Teletubbies themselves. The Tubby Phone is always inviting the Teletubbies to play and to do really fun things like the Tubby Dance. So she’s just a sweet voice really- a sweet warm voice that is fun and excitable for the Teletubbies.

Some Teletubbies facts!

  • The new series features 60 brand new 14 minute long episodes
  • The original series was filmed outdoors, but filming for the new series has been brought indoors into a studio in Twickenham, London using pioneering new production techniques
  • Many familiar outdoor elements remain including Home Hill and the Windmill. Even the positioning of the pathways remains faithful to the original series
  • The new Windmill has a more natural look and, in reality, is 25cm high
  • A 1:20 scale 3D printed model of Teletubbyland was built. Measuring 3m x 3m, it represents the 360 (degree) world around the Teletubbies’ home, known as Home Hill
  • There are 20,000 laser-cut flowers and 40,000 real dried flowers on the Teletubbies landscape model. The flowers were all hand-painted and placed onto the model to make them look natural and realistic
  • There are 4 varieties of flowers on the model- buttercups, poppies, daisies and cornflowers
  • The grass is 6mm high and was chopped and trimmed with nail scissors, hairdressing scissors and beard trimmers to give the natural feel of a meadow. Longer pieces of grass were also added by hand. After grass cutting, the model was sometimes hoovered with a hand vacuum
  • Teletubbyland has 5 variations of hillock. They are 4cm high on the model but, after clever compositing, an 8 foot tall Teletubby will stand on them.
  • The countryside horizon backdrop is modelled on the hills of Bourne End, Buckinghamshire
  • The size of the Teletubbies’ tummy screens have changed to reflect modern televisions and are now 16:9
  • The Noo-noo is the original Noo-noo, but lovingly restored with a brand new engine and colourful makeover
  • The Tubby Phone is a touch-screen phone which plays music, speaks and takes photos – the voice is that of Jane Horrocks!
  • The Dup Dup is a brand new lift connecting the Teletubbies’ dome and the hills. It replaces the slide which was used in the original series
  • The Tubby Custard Ride is a brand new toy for this series. It is 10 meters in length and splats out pink custard for the Teletubbies
  • Tubby Custard is made from a diuretic food thickener with added pink dye
  • The structure of the inside of the Teletubbies Home Hill is a large inflatable which requires constant air to keep it up. The Dome is 5 metres high and was deflated each night once filming had finished
  • The new series features a brand new Sun Baby! This iconic part is being played by 18 month old baby Berry from London, who replaces the original Sun Baby who is now 19!
  • The title sequence for the theme tune was recorded by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
  • The live action sequences which appear in the Teletubbies’ tummies are still a key feature of the show. Filmed from a child’s perspective, each short film corresponds to the theme of the episode. Instead of being shown again in its entirety, only highlights of the first film will be repeated in the new series.