Peppa Pig voice actor Harley Bird steps down after 13 years

Peppa Pig is getting a new voice after actress Harley Bird announced she will no longer be lending her own to the character.

Harley Bird became the voice of Peppa Pig in 2007. Picture: PA

The 18-year-old has voiced the cartoon character for the past 13 years. Since starting at the age of five, Bird’s voice has featured in 185 episodes.

But the actress, who is studying for her A-Levels, said she was stepping down to focus on the next chapter of her life.

Bird paid tribute to the team behind the successful cartoon, saying: “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.”

She added: “The people that work on Peppa Pig have become like a family to me and they’ve given me some unforgettable memories.”

Bird’s replacement has been revealed as nine-year-old Amelie Bea Smith. And she is no stranger to the small screen, with the young actress having featured in episodes of EastEnders in 2018 and 2019.

Revealing how excited Smith was to join the show, 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.”

Congratulating Smith, Bird said in her statement: “I wish Amelie the best of luck in the role and am looking forward to starting the next chapter in my life.”

Smith will be the fourth actress to voice Peppa, following in the footsteps of Lily Snowden-Fine, who was the original voice of the animated pig when the series began in 2004. The second series saw Cecily Bloom take over in 2006 before she was replaced by Bird, who joined the show in 2007.

The creators Neville Astley and Mark Baker also spoke of their joy of Smith joining the show. “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,” she said in a statement. “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.”

Smith’s first episode will air on 14 February. Her voice will feature in all the episodes airing in the UK and other territories where the cartoon is broadcast in English.