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Peppa Pig actress Harley Bird quits voiceover role after 13 years... despite making £1,000 an hour

31 January 2020, 11:45

Pepper pig actress Harley Bird has quit. Picture: Channel 5/ITV

The teenager will has stepped down as the popular children’s character.

Peppa Pig has lost its iconic voice after actress Harley Bird revealed she has quit the role.

The 18-year-old actress confirmed nine-year-old Amelie Bea will be taking over as the much-loved cartoon animal.

In a statement, Harley said she’s made some ‘unforgettable memories’ on the show but is moving on the ‘next chapter of her life’.

She 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."

The star is said to have made a whopping £1,000 an hour for voicing the farmyard animal, with the show even winning a Bafta.

Peppa Pig co-creators Neville Astley and Mark Baker said: "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."

Nine-year-old Amelie Bea Smith will be making her debut voicing Peppa Pig on Valentine’s Day.

Amelie starred as Daisy on EastEnders in 2018. Picture: BBC

Before this, the actress appeared in several episodes of EastEnders in 2018 and 2019 where she played Daisy - the adoptive daughter of Ashley and Dan.

Amelie’s agent, Mark Jermin said she has been "a huge fan of the show since she was little, so voicing the title role is like a dream come true".

Meanwhile, Astley and Baker said they are "confident" Smith "will continue the strong legacy of the previous Peppa voice actors."

The youngster will be the fourth British voice artist to take on the role after Lily Snowden-Fine was the first voice when the series debuted in 2004.

Cecily Bloom provided the voice of the character in the second series in 2006, while Harley took over in 2007 from the third series.