Voice of Peppa Pig quits after 13 years

Harley Bird will be replaced next month

The distinctive voice of Peppa Pig is set to change after 13 years.

Harley Bird is stepping down as the voice of the character from next month.  Harley, now 18, has played the main character in the children's cartoon since she was just five-years-old and has appeared in 185 episodes, which earned her a BAFTA in 2011.

From Valentine's Day she will be replaced by nine-year-old Amelie Bea Smith, who becomes the fourth actress to play the anthropomorphic pig, reports the Mirror.

Harley, who is currently in her final year of her A-Levels, said she was looking forward to the "next chapter" as she paid tribute to the cast of the show in her statement.

Harley said: "Becoming the voice of Peppa Pig 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."

Lily Snowden-Fine was the first to voice Peppa Pig when the series debuted in 2004, before Cecily Bloom provided the voice of the character in the second series in 2006.

Bird took over in 2007 from the third series.

Amelie, who appeared in several episodes of EastEnders in 2018 and 2019, will first appear in a Peppa Pig episode next month.

Her agent Mark Jermin said: "Amelie has been a huge fan of the show since she was little, so voicing the title role is like a dream come true and she's thrilled to become part of the voice cast."

Peppa Pig co-creators Neville Astley and Mark Baker, from animation studio Astley Baker Davies, said: "We're delighted to welcome Amelie to the Peppa Pig voice cast and confident that she will continue the strong legacy of the previous Peppa voice actors.

"Lily Snowden-Fine defined the role when she first voiced the character in series one at age five.

"Lily passed the baton to Cecily Bloom for series two before handing the reins to Harley Bird.

"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."

As well as voicing the character in the TV series, Bird also performed songs for the recent Peppa Pig My First Album release.

Amelie's voice as Peppa Pig will be heard in the UK, the US, Australia and other international territories that air episodes in English.

Peppa Pig first aired in 2004 on Channel 5 Milkshake and Nick Jr. It is now available in more than 180 territories and it is broadcast in more than 40 languages.