Abbey is proudly in the top 1% of listeners. Georgie has a favourite and it's the only Broncos fan in the band. Together we are so excited to welcome Simon and Big Strong John Wiggle to Two Good Sports, to hear how they stay fit on tour, staying loyal to the Eels and the Tigers in tough times, and how they keep their love of sport alive with the demands of fatherhood.
Plus, they rank their top 5 Wiggles songs, talk about new single Sparkle and incredible WiggleVision video that goes with it, and tell us what's next for the undisputed champions of Australian entertainment.
Harvey Norman love sport. Supporting Australian athletes at all levels, from grassroots to the world stage for over thirty years. SHOP Furniture, Bedding, TVs, Fridges, Vacuums, Laptops, Mobiles and more instore or online!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Here at two good Sports.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
We would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the
land on which we record this podcast. The were Inurie people.
This land was never seated, always was, always will be, dear.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
Listeners, As you know, it takes quite a lot from
us to deviate from sport on this podcast, so much
so that Georgie started another one about Taylor Swift. We've
had enough of it here, but today today's about my
top artist. I am proudly slash terrifyingly in the top
one percent of listeners, which is really competitive. It's a
really competitive market. For our next up guest.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
It doesn't surprise me at all that you are the
top one percent, thank you very much. That you don't
do anything by Harbs.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
They are the most successful Australian act of all time,
one of the most, if not the most successful children's
entertainers in the world. They were founded the same year
as our dear Georgia Toney in nineteen ninety one. And
fun fact, we're inverting the show today having a fun fact.
Early started outs the cockroaches. Ah yes, and much like
(01:04):
the cockroaches, they will infiltrate every part of your life.
Because once they are in your home, there's no getting
out of it. The reason why I survive parenting because
when my kids crack it in the prem nothing quite
solves it.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
Like a bit of hot potato. Please welcome to the pod,
John and Simon, We're.
Speaker 4 (01:25):
God great to be here. All you need is a
big can of spray and that gets.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Rid of that.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
Well, much like the cockroaches, the wiggles will just never die. No,
he never keep reinventing themselves.
Speaker 4 (01:41):
We're multiplying, aren't we the apocalypse.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
That was meant to be a nice welcome and now
I've made them a pest shorty. Can you please take over?
That's why I don't do them?
Speaker 5 (01:50):
Well?
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Can I just say to keep the pest theme going?
The earl worms you guys create is actually nothing short
of magical. And John and Simon, I have to say,
tell me is I don't want to throw under the
bus here, but she is losing it. She's so excited
that you are here, and I feel like her reaction
(02:11):
is indicative of probably the rest of the parenting world. Simon,
what how do parents react to you guys?
Speaker 6 (02:19):
Well, I think sometimes the parents get more of a
kick out of it than the children. I don't tend
to wear a lot of red when I'm out on
the streets, and so the parents are always trying to say, look,
there's Simon, there's Simon. The child's looking around like no
idea what's going on? And the parents, the parents do
get quite heavily invested. And when you're in the wiggle zone,
(02:40):
you know, really you really invest and you're in the
wiggle zone and then I know, parents do their deep
dives and they find out who's in a relationship with who,
and you know, there's a lot that goes on.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
You're you're aware of the law, You're aware of you
know is what happens behind the scenes in different households
around Australia. They go down those rabbit holes.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
Can I just say, I'm at the end of the
bell curve that enjoy what you do. I do not
know any relationship dynamic. Just in case Georgie's painting me
out to be quite psycho, I promise that that is
actually not the case. But we were talking today about
team colors and there are really strong team colors within
the Wiggles.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
When you are brought in to the fold, do you get.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
Any choice in what color you're going to wear? And
are there certain ethoses behind the colors that you have?
Speaker 6 (03:25):
Well, I mean, if you go back to the original Wiggles,
the way they chose their colors was who made it
first to the discount clothing bin at Low's because nobody
want of yellow, so there was no real they wanted.
The idea is for children, of course as primary colors,
and so that's where it stemmed from. But really who
(03:47):
got what in the early days was just who got
to the discount bin first to get their cotton skivvy
and then.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Hang on and poor John didn't even get a primary color.
Speaker 7 (03:55):
Yeah, I was like, John, you're a bland of both.
Speaker 6 (03:58):
But that is classic Wiggle. It's like now people say,
why why are they're too purple? And two purple guys
and too why is there one of each color and gender?
You know, but we don't we have two because things
on a creative level are incredibly well thought out. There
are other things that are just you know, we just
do because of the accidentally kind of feel it at
(04:19):
the time. But there's no like baggy green ceremony if
that's what you're.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
Asking, There's no stiffy presentation.
Speaker 6 (04:28):
I always Murray and I were exactly the same size,
so I just had a costume and that that's kind
of how I got.
Speaker 7 (04:35):
Red squeeze into Jeff's size tight perfectly well.
Speaker 4 (04:40):
John, just kids putting his skivvies in the dry and
to shrink even more.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
John, I want to keep this, you know, safe for work.
But I feel like the parents, especially the mums, they
love you.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
They love John was like, look, i'll take body paints
give us.
Speaker 7 (04:56):
Is that tight you nearly?
Speaker 4 (04:57):
Yeah? You do wear that one a lot for Austra.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
You your actual skivies today are completely bedazzled, sparkling. Shall we
say an ode to the new single? But before we
get there, John, if you could have chosen a color,
what would you have chosen? If you could choose another
color other than purple.
Speaker 7 (05:14):
Other than purple, I would probably would have picked purple.
But if it had to be another one, I would
probably say red. Red. No, yeah, maybe red. I like red.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
You guys can do a swap, right, that's giving me?
Of course red is of course the fastest color.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
Is fast. It's the irony of it all, isn't it.
Speaker 6 (05:38):
But I wouldn't have chosen red because of my slightly
red hue.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
I would have more blue you speaking, yes, I always
I say my time of my natural color is like
just a muted dusty pink is my natural hue. So
I'm with you. I understand. I'm like, there's just certain
things that aren't as as flattering, but hey, you wear
it well.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
You wear this well, thank you.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
And look, as the resident wiggle expert, the amount of
movement that go into your performances and how many that
you do in one day, back to back traveling in cities,
whether you like it, you guys are athletes in having
to perform that way. And also, as you alluded to
simon that idea that you're like, you get into wiggle
mode and you have to be delightful.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
Putting the skivy on.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
You have to meet a certain level of expectation of
kids wanting you guys to always be up. Are there
things that you do performance wise to make sure that
you can get yourself into that zone?
Speaker 6 (06:32):
Well, it's really interesting. I mean we'll do three shows
a day primarily most days. We just finished a UK
tour and you know it was nine days, three shows
a day back to back with finishing the third show
and driving to the next city, doing the.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
Same in the big red car.
Speaker 4 (06:46):
In the big red car. That's right, we need it.
It's a big red bus now.
Speaker 6 (06:50):
But it's really interesting because you do you're tired, and
you naturally just get physically and mentally tired. But we
do have a responsibility for our audience, and we always
think it's probably the first time a lot of these
children and families have ever come to something like that.
It's their first concert, it's their first show, and we
do have a responsibility to perform at our highest level
(07:11):
that we possibly can every time. But also on top
of that, it's actually you have no choice but too
because of the audience, because of the children. When you're
on stage, you look at those beautiful faces smiling at you,
engaged and ready to have a great time. There's nothing
you can do except give it one hundred percent and
we get as much out of it, I'm sure, as
(07:33):
what the audience do when the parents do, because it
really is it's a total joy for us and we
just have a lot of fun.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Well, what I'm hearing is that you are high performance athletes,
and you've just confirmed that, John, being big strong John, Yes,
how much of yourself. Are you bringing into that character?
Are you a fit person away from the skivy.
Speaker 7 (07:53):
Yeah, like a big strong John. I'd probably say strong
John I bring to the character because the big size.
Speaker 4 (07:59):
He looks much bigger on TV.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
We all do.
Speaker 7 (08:03):
Right, Yeah, you're not wrong there. But you know what,
like my character, it is based on me as a person.
I grew up in sports and I was a personal
trainer for years. You know, I was studying nutrition and
I was a sprinter. Growing up, I played a bit
of footy and the character big strong John is an
extension of myself in Wiggles World, except that you know, yeah,
(08:23):
I'm not that big.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
When you say when you say footy, are we talking
are we talking.
Speaker 7 (08:28):
League Melbourne or Sydney.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Yes, that's mine. One of mine say sprinting.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
So we're talking like little aths because being into track
and field, it's a bit of it was a bit
of bit yeah.
Speaker 7 (08:42):
Little athletics. I started out little athletics at the age
of nine. I used to race my twin brother on
the street just for fun. We used to just race
and time each other. And one of the presidents of
Ride Little Athletics Club was living on our street and
used to just watch us racing each other on the
street and invited us sound to the club and said,
you know, registration days coming up. Did you guys want
to sign up? And we went down. That was our
(09:04):
calling and that's that's kind of what built the foundation
for all the sports and the discipline of training. That's
where it all started.
Speaker 6 (09:10):
But John's being modest because you at the age of sixteen,
what did you run the one hundred meters in?
Speaker 4 (09:16):
Yes?
Speaker 7 (09:16):
So my personal best was ten point seven seconds. Wait
that was my Yeah, sprinting was my was my thing.
Speaker 4 (09:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Sorry, So essentially your Gout Gout I've got.
Speaker 4 (09:28):
But that's a whole other.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
And this is why Gout's dad tried to change his name,
and then Gout had to come out and be like that,
it's all right, this is just what it's been. And
you know what three years ago, Gout was watching the Wiggles.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
Out, Yeah, is it? Have you had actually on that?
Because who has come up to you? Would you say,
both of you that potentially you've been a little bit
star struck? Who've been starstruck by you? Because the Wiggles
literally is a part of so many people's lives, and
that includes celebrities. So who was the biggest celebrity fan
that you've encountered?
Speaker 6 (10:12):
It was last year in America. Robert de Niro. Yeah,
that was like, yeah, that was next level. But we
literally sat backstage for about an hour with Robert and
his fat Bob Bobby sorry, yeah, chatting with Robert de
Niro and his family for an hour before the show
in Brooklyn.
Speaker 4 (10:30):
Yeah, amazing.
Speaker 7 (10:31):
We're all pretending like we were.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
This is fine.
Speaker 4 (10:35):
Yeah, it was quite quite nerve wracking.
Speaker 7 (10:39):
What do you say, do you smile too much? Stand
back house?
Speaker 1 (10:42):
Probably the mutual nerves. He's probably nervous to meet you
guys because he's like, you're so much part of their
lives and vice versa. That's wild.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
You want to talk about the Godfather's normally it was.
Speaker 4 (10:53):
Just normal things his family and life. And there was
a great video he put up.
Speaker 6 (10:57):
He's on FaceTime with Martin Scorsese and mar Scorsese says, hey, Bob,
what are you doing now? And he shows his phone
to the screen He's watching the Wiggles and is like, hey,
great man, like, yeah, those things are while like, you know,
you could try everything in the world to try to
get Rob with the nero to a show. But like
(11:18):
we were saying earlier, if you're in the Wiggles zone
and your child into the Wiggles, you'll do everything you
can for your child to sort of facilitate that he
didn't have to pull too many strings to get to
come along.
Speaker 4 (11:29):
But it's pretty amazing.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
It's incredible to me because then you also have that
shared experience as a parent. Oh yeah, Like I think
sometimes the fact that the Wiggles are probably what raised
his kids or vice versa. It's just a universal thing
to love the Wiggles, and when you talk about how
special it is in the experience for the kids and
also for the parents. The first time I didn't realize
this until we're just thinking about now. The first time
(11:51):
that my eldest who's now three and a half said
I love you, was singing skin rink you do what
and yeah, and I just remember and he will go
on to bed and he just said he sung skin
rink you do and just said, oh, I love you
and then stopped and said I love you, mama. And
I was like old and I get like a bit,
but those sort of songs and also like you're part
(12:13):
of those moments for parents forever. And I know that
when I'm old, I'll listen to those songs and be
taken back to a really special time where my kids
had dance parties and it had to be the Wiggles,
and it's a certain order. Otherwise we're in big trouble
and they're just it's so special and it's also nice
of parents that they're the same songs that we grew
(12:33):
up with.
Speaker 5 (12:33):
Oh yeah, right over, Well, I'll tell you what.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
My next favorite one is Sparkle.
Speaker 4 (12:49):
Sparkles one talk to.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
Us a little bit about what's going on at the moment.
Speaker 6 (12:53):
Well, yeah, so Sparkle. We wrote Sparkle a couple of
years ago after watching Eurovision and when what would a
Wiggles europop song sound like? Look, you know, because we
never thought about it, and so we actually set out
just to create this song as a fun thing to do,
and we'd sort of, we'd do a bit, and then
we revisit, and then we finished this song. We called
(13:14):
it Sparkle and thought, this is actually a great song,
but it's so far removed from what we normally do.
What are we ever going to do with it? And
it really just sat in the bottom drawer for a
couple of years and us trying to figure out what
on earth would we do with this song Sparkle, given
that it's kind of outside of our normal world. And
then we all got together and thought, why don't we
create a YouTube special call it wiggle Vision based on
(13:38):
of course, you know, Wigglevision song contest, based on Eurovision
Song Contest, and have a bit of fun with it.
And that's kind of how it evolved, and that's why
we're now. We're all sparkled up and ready to go.
Speaker 7 (13:47):
And we won the competition. We won wiggle Vision with
the only entrance.
Speaker 6 (13:52):
Surprisingly, the Wiggles had never entered wiggle Vision before.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
I did say that we've never been asked to compare.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
I reckon you have Yeah, I was gonna say, have
you actually as the Wiggles been asked to compete for Eurovision,
because I think they go like, I'm not the real
the real one. Yeah, Like, don't get me wrong, wiggle
Vision incredible, but let's like you're the Wiggles.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
Like I feel like, if anything.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
If anything's Eurovision, it's you guys. And if any if,
at any time Australia could actually be allowed politically to win,
it would be with you.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
That's fair.
Speaker 6 (14:24):
Yeah, we do have a we have a dinosaur, don't
we We have a Dina, you know. But look a
lot of people have often said he the Wigles should
do wiggle Vision, wiggle Vision, but no, it's it's never
never come about. But this is our wiggle Vision, is
our version of Eurovision.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
I just think we put it out to Ethos Delta
good luck.
Speaker 4 (14:42):
I think she's singing.
Speaker 7 (14:43):
If they bring it to Australia next year, then it's easier.
Speaker 1 (14:45):
For you know what. She looks like. She's a member
of Sparkle.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
She does look like, Yes, she loves she's.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
Got the memo, Yeah, got the memo.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
How do you guys get the song out of your head? Yes,
after you sing it, because like listening to it it
is so catchy. Is there is there a technique?
Speaker 7 (15:01):
John?
Speaker 2 (15:02):
Is there a technique?
Speaker 7 (15:03):
I don't think we ever get it out of her head?
Like being parents ourselves. I go home and put the
Wiggles back on when I get home, So of course
you sparkle back on and you just have to live
with it. And it's it's good.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
You know.
Speaker 7 (15:14):
There's over I'd say more than a thousand songs two thousand.
Speaker 4 (15:17):
Songs, most of five thousand songs.
Speaker 6 (15:22):
And because we're always creating new music, I think that
new song takes the place of the one, the one
you've just done and you know, and then you've got
to when you know, like Sparkle, we wrote a while ago,
and so you've got to revisit those once you you know,
put it out there to remind yourself actually how it goes,
and then once again it gets stuck in there again.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
Do your kids, john do they know that it's you,
Like if you've put the Wiggles on for them? Are
they like, oh why?
Speaker 1 (15:45):
Dad?
Speaker 7 (15:45):
Both hang on the confused. He's probably not at the questioning.
He's only sixteen months. So he'll sit and watch it
and just go daddy, and he'll point at the screen
when I'm on the screen, and then look at me
and yes. So that's all he says at the moment
when he sees me on screen, and he seems to
know he knows all the characters. Now he'll start to
kind of mumble Simon and Ev and things like that.
So he's becoming familiar with the Wiggles and who they are.
(16:07):
And he doesn't call me big strong Johnny does say
Daddy when I want.
Speaker 4 (16:10):
It's very cute.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
That's so cute, that's such.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
You're like, that's cute.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
Your vote, It's got to keep John, Mum, big strong John,
Thank you. We do mention obviously being parents and navigating that.
The Wiggles have an amazing podcast called Wiggle Talk that
engages with parents, and I think sometimes when you have
that authority voice to parents, the warmth that comes from
it is just really different. I've loved some of the episodes,
particularly with Hugh Van kyleen Berger was just gorgeous. How
(16:40):
have you found that and venturing into something where you're
not targeting the kids, but you're more speaking to the parents.
Speaker 6 (16:45):
Yeah, look at a massive learning curve for Lockie and
I who hosts a podcast, because we're used to answering questions,
very very familiar with actually asking them and so it's
but we have incredible guests on. We always wanted to
talk more to the parents, but it didn't feel very
authentic until Lucky and I actually had children ourselves. And
(17:06):
once we had children ourselves, we were talking and they're
a similar age, talking about what the challenges we were
facing or just you know, day to day with children
we thought, well, if we're experiencing this and having these
questions and know all other parents must be doing the
same thing, and so now that we had children, we
felt we were able to officially.
Speaker 4 (17:26):
Joined the chapter to parents as parents.
Speaker 6 (17:28):
I don't know if parents are really put up with someone,
you know, giving parenting advice or talking about being a parent,
if they weren't themselves.
Speaker 4 (17:35):
So well, I.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
Can give feedback on that I don't have children, and
I often do give my two cents yeah, to tell
me a lot. I don't know if it necessarily work's
unsolicited advice. I feel like it goes down always well, John, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:48):
And I will often and I love my two boys
more than life. I will sometimes call Georgie and say,
don't do it. I literally got I go travel the world,
be wealthy, be your own boss.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
Go because wherein what will have to do?
Speaker 3 (18:05):
And it is affectionately called the trenches at the moment, John,
and then my younger sounds about the same age as
yours in just about to turn one and a half
and three and a half, and it's just it's really
full on. And you talk about again something like the
learnings that you had from not being parents to becoming parents.
It's such a sweeping question, but to you both, what
are the biggest lessons that you've learned from becoming dads?
Speaker 4 (18:26):
I think.
Speaker 6 (18:28):
Patience ultimately and connection. And so it's very easy to
come home from work and still have that ticking over
in your head the whole time, and you realize that
you're not being as present as you should be or
need to be for your child or for your family
as a whole. And I think that's what I've learned
(18:50):
the most, and a lot of it's come from the
incredible guests we've had on Wiggled Talk and understanding that
what they've been talking about, that the connection with your
child is the most important thing you can have, and
once you get home, you've just got to put things
aside and you be with them and be present with them.
And that that's been the biggest learning for me, because
sometimes it's hard to let things go when you walk
(19:11):
back in the front door. But having now done that,
and I think fairly successfully for a little while now,
it's made a massive difference.
Speaker 7 (19:17):
John beat that I'd have to agree, don't come home,
you've had a full day at work, you're tired, but yeah,
your partner, like our partner's loves and Jess, I've been
at home all day and that job I think is
ten times harder than actually working doing anything else because
you can't switch off, and when you come home, it's
up to us to try to alleviate that pressure and
(19:38):
just you know, just be in the moment then and
there we're all tired, and it's just doing your part
and just having fun and just embracing that. I think
we're all grateful that we're in this situation to be parents,
first of all, and just to be there and just
enjoy it because it will disappear. And I feel like
I'm almost scared that he's just going to grow up
and he's just going to move out, and you're just
going to think this is just.
Speaker 4 (19:57):
All gone, Big strong John.
Speaker 3 (19:59):
Who Yeah, he'll at least he'll need Big Strong John
to move out.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
That seems like a better process.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
I love that you how you phrased that, Simon in
that parenthood has taught you presence and has taught you
to want to have that connection. And I say this
with love, but I thought, as an Eels fan, you
actually may want to more prioritize, like disassociation especially in
(20:30):
the year of twenty twenty six. I heard that you
were on Eels ambassador. Is that true?
Speaker 6 (20:36):
Yes, for their foundation, so for their charitable foundation, which
just happened recently. But you know that the beauty of
the Paramatta Eels is it's taught me resilience.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
Yeah, well, we'll get the targets.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
We'll get there, John, I will get that.
Speaker 4 (20:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (20:55):
Look, I've been an ill support of my whole life.
My dad was an ill supporter. He supports There was
a play called Ken Thornett who was played for the Yels,
and that's so that's my dad supported the Yels and
early when I was young, it was the best team
you could support. In the early eighties and the eighties
we were winning everything. And then now forty years have
passed and you know, I can deal with anything in life,
(21:18):
it doesn't matter. What I love the most after a
win or a loss is going on social media and
looking at the comments.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
I'm so glad that you said looking is going on.
Speaker 4 (21:30):
Fans are brutal.
Speaker 3 (21:32):
They are sports fans and Georgie and I sometimes caught
their breath as being as being part of the sporting landscape.
But there's not much that doesn't make it through the
filter of should I send this.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
No, Yeah, they just go. They just commit, They commit
and look to be honest. Sometimes the internet's hilarious, but
sometimes you're like, Jesus, that's in text you with that there.
Speaker 3 (21:51):
Exactly what you said, then, Simon, is what I used
to say about Fremantle. And then gratefully I'm married into
another team. Because people like, what was the best thing
about support wdding Freemantle? I was like, well, the color purple, Yeah, clearly, John.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
But then also I was like.
Speaker 3 (22:05):
Oh god, we just get so close and we're so
far like it's an abusive relationship at this point. And
then my far better half played for another team and
I'm like, that'll do me, that will do me.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
What what happens when the Eels and Tigers play, Yes, well.
Speaker 6 (22:17):
Yeah that we we were actually in the UK when
the last and the Tigers won. There's always a bit
of a bit of rivalry, so there's a few We've
got Tigers, Bulldogs and Eels primarily, and a Bronco in
the Wiggles.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
But the Bronco who's the Bronco?
Speaker 4 (22:34):
Who's the Bronco Locky?
Speaker 2 (22:37):
Of course he is named after Darren Lockyer. I can
only said it makes sense.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
It's beautiful lockey and there's Georgie's favorite Wiggles sorry, the
Marone wiggle.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
Yeah, purple is Maron when you think about it.
Speaker 6 (22:54):
But we love you know that that our skivvy is here.
The V on our skivvies is designed an n R
l G. That's the original design. That's why we have it.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
I did not know that you sell them because Georgie
is a heartbeat away for a guys.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
We need to I know. I mean I do not
need to be telling you about merch. But you need
to do a Wiggles collab with every NRL teacher. Yeah, yes,
you must, you must, you must. I would take one
in every color, every single color.
Speaker 6 (23:22):
That's how much Rugby League is a big thing amongst
the Wiggles.
Speaker 4 (23:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
Oh wow, Now I can't Now, I can't look away
because it's giving the red V for the dragons, isn't it,
especially yours Simon. Yeah, Jelemy, you have to join. You
have to come over to the league sign.
Speaker 1 (23:35):
No, I never will. Yeah, I know who I am
one of us.
Speaker 4 (23:40):
John wants to do a fil just so he can
cut his sleeves.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
Off chasing me now, Now, John, I don't want to
embarrass you, but I feel that Simon here has just
actually opened the door for this. So are you aware
that potentially you're a bit of a first trap for
a lot of mumps out there and dads and dads
(24:04):
and do just enjoy watching the Wiggles for you too?
Speaker 7 (24:06):
First trap? First, I've heard of that term, you know,
I didn't know what that term meant until it was
a headline somewhere. I'm like, what does that even mean?
Speaker 3 (24:17):
But is that something that I don't know if people
would be so forwardcoming writing that about women as opposed
to like, does it make you uncomfortable or is it
just something as part of the job.
Speaker 7 (24:27):
I just I just have a laugh about it. Met
me and Jesse. We laugh about it, and it's it's
a weird thing. It's really weird. I was in a
pop music group for years. I was never the headline,
and now you know we're entertaining children and I'm a
family man. Now you know, it's just different. And now
I'm just I get that title. It's just yeah, you
don't know, you don't know what to say about it.
I just we have a laugh and it's just it's
(24:48):
a positive thing. And I guess if roles were reversed
or if I just played victim one day, it's a
different story.
Speaker 5 (24:54):
But you know.
Speaker 7 (24:56):
I'm going to abuse online.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
You're just one day being like me too. I'm being
objective fied online.
Speaker 7 (25:01):
Now you know it's but you are. I'm just being myself.
And I love to stay healthy and fit and and
the wear tight clothes. And I think there's pretty innocent
if you ask me.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
And that's your right, John, that's your right. You live
your truth.
Speaker 1 (25:16):
We now need to see the tailored Oh I can't
have it.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
It must be seen. Guys, before we let you go,
been so generous with your time. We were hoping to
play a little bit of a game with you, whereas
we've got to We've got five wiggle songs here. I'm
not going to tell you, well, we're gonna We're gonna
reveal them as they go. But I would love you
to do a blind ranking each of you one to five.
One is best, one is best, and then five is
(25:40):
like still good, still good, but not okay. This is
the ranking. You just won't know what song's coming at you.
So you've just got to you gotta If you want
to go early and say that's number one, you got
to commit because play.
Speaker 1 (25:52):
I don't know what the songs are.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
Okay, you don't know the song more wiggles and either
of the Okay, I mean, okay.
Speaker 2 (25:59):
Welcome Jigo sports Blind ranking. Here we go, Simon, John
and Abby Wiggle.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (26:07):
First song. Simon says, Oh.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
That's an attack.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
Where does it go?
Speaker 4 (26:10):
Oh, it has to be number one, Simon.
Speaker 1 (26:15):
Okay.
Speaker 7 (26:16):
Simon says, is a good one. I'm going to give
it number two in case there's a big strong John
song coming.
Speaker 1 (26:21):
Up to be.
Speaker 3 (26:25):
Okay, I'll go number two, number two only because if
skin rings in there, I can't check you.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
Come on, you guys are crazy.
Speaker 2 (26:32):
Have you done this before? You've got so much. We've
got so many to go here, George Bee Okay, okay,
elephant or but obviously we'll see.
Speaker 4 (26:47):
I mean it won the hottest one hundred.
Speaker 2 (26:49):
It did it? Did? You can't have it as your
number one?
Speaker 6 (26:52):
No, I can't use that number one. I'll do I'll
do number three, number three.
Speaker 4 (26:58):
It is a good song.
Speaker 7 (26:59):
I haven't played it for my son yet, so i'll
give that just based on that, I'll give it a
number four before.
Speaker 2 (27:04):
Okay, Okay, that's true.
Speaker 3 (27:06):
I'm ranking these as accordings to how they would soothe
my children, and I'm going to go number five, number five,
I know.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
Okay, Hot Potato No.
Speaker 7 (27:15):
One, that's one for me.
Speaker 4 (27:18):
I think I have to take number two.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
Now, Gee, that's Simon.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
That's Simon's like Simon says, Simon's better.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
Than hot Potato. That's the headline to come out of the.
Speaker 2 (27:34):
Sparkle.
Speaker 1 (27:35):
Oh, it's real hard.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
That's only because that's just because of where it is.
I understand the hard choices.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
I'm going to go three because it's the hardest I
can give it.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
Okay, this is stressful. It's so stressful. Life is stressful, Jimmy, Okay,
this is number five. Okay, yeah, this is not okay, Yes,
And this is why blind rankings are really hard, Okay,
because I think all of your spots, it's going to
have to be like the last one for a couple
of you. Okay, this is this song? Where does in
(28:10):
your top five wiggle songs? Fruit Salad go on?
Speaker 3 (28:15):
I was I was explaining to Georgie that there's a
version that very much is like everyone's included the new
version of fruit salad, and we're all for fruit.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
Salad, fruits and we're all from the same bowl.
Speaker 7 (28:27):
It's beautiful you're talking about you're talking about which version.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
You just learn so much about you, so much next
to the I have to.
Speaker 4 (28:41):
Be number five.
Speaker 7 (28:41):
I mean, yeah, I'd give it a number one.
Speaker 2 (28:46):
I could, but you can look potato potato.
Speaker 1 (28:49):
Yeah, potatoes potato.
Speaker 5 (28:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:52):
You're a veggie, man, I know, but you'd only eat
sweet potato.
Speaker 4 (28:57):
Small.
Speaker 1 (28:58):
You're healthy so much.
Speaker 2 (28:59):
I didn't study nutrition, John.
Speaker 1 (29:02):
John's not having fruit too much glucose.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
You're so right. You're so right, guys.
Speaker 1 (29:07):
I hope you enjoyed that.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
Number five, number five, number five, number five, number five. Guys,
thank you so much for coming on to good Sports
and joining us in our unhingedness and meeting us and
sometimes even passing, really, which is a.
Speaker 1 (29:23):
Two leagues to Georgie's. We love that. What what's on
for me? What's on for the rest of the day?
Are you sparkling elsewhere? Do you wear the kit for
the rest of the day.
Speaker 4 (29:34):
Yeah, I mean we'll just leave this walk down the street,
you know, anyone in traffic.
Speaker 1 (29:45):
Back to the office.
Speaker 4 (29:46):
We've got We've got a bit on at the moment.
But yeah, look, you know you.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
Have an office.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
That's what just stunned me.
Speaker 6 (29:53):
What, yeah, is where all the the offices, all our
start the staff are and our TV studio, recording studio.
Everything is in one building in Sydney, so we are
aware out there every.
Speaker 1 (30:08):
Day reality show.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
We need a reality show. We also need a theme park.
That's what's definitely you can go to dream World if
you like.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
Yeah, big red boat.
Speaker 2 (30:22):
God, I've not been too long since I've been there.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
Yeah, No, we need to we need to go there.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
Take the Wiggles on the road with two good sports. Yeah,
get Peter Blandy's on.
Speaker 3 (30:29):
Get the collab Yeah peterland Yeah, he'd a collab'd Our
people will call your people Hoppotato Studios at Wiggletown. Team,
thank you so so much. We really appreciate your time
and thank you for all the memories you've already given
my family and more so, thank you.
Speaker 4 (30:43):
Oh that's lovely great to chat with you both. Thanks
for having us
Here at two good Sports.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
We would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the
land on which we record this podcast. The were Inurie people.
This land was never seated, always was, always will be, dear.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
Listeners, As you know, it takes quite a lot from
us to deviate from sport on this podcast, so much
so that Georgie started another one about Taylor Swift. We've
had enough of it here, but today today's about my
top artist. I am proudly slash terrifyingly in the top
one percent of listeners, which is really competitive. It's a
really competitive market. For our next up guest.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
It doesn't surprise me at all that you are the
top one percent, thank you very much. That you don't
do anything by Harbs.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
They are the most successful Australian act of all time,
one of the most, if not the most successful children's
entertainers in the world. They were founded the same year
as our dear Georgia Toney in nineteen ninety one. And
fun fact, we're inverting the show today having a fun fact.
Early started outs the cockroaches. Ah yes, and much like
(01:04):
the cockroaches, they will infiltrate every part of your life.
Because once they are in your home, there's no getting
out of it. The reason why I survive parenting because
when my kids crack it in the prem nothing quite
solves it.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
Like a bit of hot potato. Please welcome to the pod,
John and Simon, We're.
Speaker 4 (01:25):
God great to be here. All you need is a
big can of spray and that gets.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Rid of that.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
Well, much like the cockroaches, the wiggles will just never die. No,
he never keep reinventing themselves.
Speaker 4 (01:41):
We're multiplying, aren't we the apocalypse.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
That was meant to be a nice welcome and now
I've made them a pest shorty. Can you please take over?
That's why I don't do them?
Speaker 5 (01:50):
Well?
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Can I just say to keep the pest theme going?
The earl worms you guys create is actually nothing short
of magical. And John and Simon, I have to say,
tell me is I don't want to throw under the
bus here, but she is losing it. She's so excited
that you are here, and I feel like her reaction
(02:11):
is indicative of probably the rest of the parenting world. Simon,
what how do parents react to you guys?
Speaker 6 (02:19):
Well, I think sometimes the parents get more of a
kick out of it than the children. I don't tend
to wear a lot of red when I'm out on
the streets, and so the parents are always trying to say, look,
there's Simon, there's Simon. The child's looking around like no
idea what's going on? And the parents, the parents do
get quite heavily invested. And when you're in the wiggle zone,
(02:40):
you know, really you really invest and you're in the
wiggle zone and then I know, parents do their deep
dives and they find out who's in a relationship with who,
and you know, there's a lot that goes on.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
You're you're aware of the law, You're aware of you
know is what happens behind the scenes in different households
around Australia. They go down those rabbit holes.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
Can I just say, I'm at the end of the
bell curve that enjoy what you do. I do not
know any relationship dynamic. Just in case Georgie's painting me
out to be quite psycho, I promise that that is
actually not the case. But we were talking today about
team colors and there are really strong team colors within
the Wiggles.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
When you are brought in to the fold, do you get.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
Any choice in what color you're going to wear? And
are there certain ethoses behind the colors that you have?
Speaker 6 (03:25):
Well, I mean, if you go back to the original Wiggles,
the way they chose their colors was who made it
first to the discount clothing bin at Low's because nobody
want of yellow, so there was no real they wanted.
The idea is for children, of course as primary colors,
and so that's where it stemmed from. But really who
(03:47):
got what in the early days was just who got
to the discount bin first to get their cotton skivvy
and then.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Hang on and poor John didn't even get a primary color.
Speaker 7 (03:55):
Yeah, I was like, John, you're a bland of both.
Speaker 6 (03:58):
But that is classic Wiggle. It's like now people say,
why why are they're too purple? And two purple guys
and too why is there one of each color and gender?
You know, but we don't we have two because things
on a creative level are incredibly well thought out. There
are other things that are just you know, we just
do because of the accidentally kind of feel it at
(04:19):
the time. But there's no like baggy green ceremony if
that's what you're.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
Asking, There's no stiffy presentation.
Speaker 6 (04:28):
I always Murray and I were exactly the same size,
so I just had a costume and that that's kind
of how I got.
Speaker 7 (04:35):
Red squeeze into Jeff's size tight perfectly well.
Speaker 4 (04:40):
John, just kids putting his skivvies in the dry and
to shrink even more.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
John, I want to keep this, you know, safe for work.
But I feel like the parents, especially the mums, they
love you.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
They love John was like, look, i'll take body paints
give us.
Speaker 7 (04:56):
Is that tight you nearly?
Speaker 4 (04:57):
Yeah? You do wear that one a lot for Austra.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
You your actual skivies today are completely bedazzled, sparkling. Shall we
say an ode to the new single? But before we
get there, John, if you could have chosen a color,
what would you have chosen? If you could choose another
color other than purple.
Speaker 7 (05:14):
Other than purple, I would probably would have picked purple.
But if it had to be another one, I would
probably say red. Red. No, yeah, maybe red. I like red.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
You guys can do a swap, right, that's giving me?
Of course red is of course the fastest color.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
Is fast. It's the irony of it all, isn't it.
Speaker 6 (05:38):
But I wouldn't have chosen red because of my slightly
red hue.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
I would have more blue you speaking, yes, I always
I say my time of my natural color is like
just a muted dusty pink is my natural hue. So
I'm with you. I understand. I'm like, there's just certain
things that aren't as as flattering, but hey, you wear
it well.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
You wear this well, thank you.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
And look, as the resident wiggle expert, the amount of
movement that go into your performances and how many that
you do in one day, back to back traveling in cities,
whether you like it, you guys are athletes in having
to perform that way. And also, as you alluded to
simon that idea that you're like, you get into wiggle
mode and you have to be delightful.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
Putting the skivy on.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
You have to meet a certain level of expectation of
kids wanting you guys to always be up. Are there
things that you do performance wise to make sure that
you can get yourself into that zone?
Speaker 6 (06:32):
Well, it's really interesting. I mean we'll do three shows
a day primarily most days. We just finished a UK
tour and you know it was nine days, three shows
a day back to back with finishing the third show
and driving to the next city, doing the.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
Same in the big red car.
Speaker 4 (06:46):
In the big red car. That's right, we need it.
It's a big red bus now.
Speaker 6 (06:50):
But it's really interesting because you do you're tired, and
you naturally just get physically and mentally tired. But we
do have a responsibility for our audience, and we always
think it's probably the first time a lot of these
children and families have ever come to something like that.
It's their first concert, it's their first show, and we
do have a responsibility to perform at our highest level
(07:11):
that we possibly can every time. But also on top
of that, it's actually you have no choice but too
because of the audience, because of the children. When you're
on stage, you look at those beautiful faces smiling at you,
engaged and ready to have a great time. There's nothing
you can do except give it one hundred percent and
we get as much out of it, I'm sure, as
(07:33):
what the audience do when the parents do, because it
really is it's a total joy for us and we
just have a lot of fun.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Well, what I'm hearing is that you are high performance athletes,
and you've just confirmed that, John, being big strong John, Yes,
how much of yourself. Are you bringing into that character?
Are you a fit person away from the skivy.
Speaker 7 (07:53):
Yeah, like a big strong John. I'd probably say strong
John I bring to the character because the big size.
Speaker 4 (07:59):
He looks much bigger on TV.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
We all do.
Speaker 7 (08:03):
Right, Yeah, you're not wrong there. But you know what,
like my character, it is based on me as a person.
I grew up in sports and I was a personal
trainer for years. You know, I was studying nutrition and
I was a sprinter. Growing up, I played a bit
of footy and the character big strong John is an
extension of myself in Wiggles World, except that you know, yeah,
(08:23):
I'm not that big.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
When you say when you say footy, are we talking
are we talking.
Speaker 7 (08:28):
League Melbourne or Sydney.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Yes, that's mine. One of mine say sprinting.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
So we're talking like little aths because being into track
and field, it's a bit of it was a bit
of bit yeah.
Speaker 7 (08:42):
Little athletics. I started out little athletics at the age
of nine. I used to race my twin brother on
the street just for fun. We used to just race
and time each other. And one of the presidents of
Ride Little Athletics Club was living on our street and
used to just watch us racing each other on the
street and invited us sound to the club and said,
you know, registration days coming up. Did you guys want
to sign up? And we went down. That was our
(09:04):
calling and that's that's kind of what built the foundation
for all the sports and the discipline of training. That's
where it all started.
Speaker 6 (09:10):
But John's being modest because you at the age of sixteen,
what did you run the one hundred meters in?
Speaker 4 (09:16):
Yes?
Speaker 7 (09:16):
So my personal best was ten point seven seconds. Wait
that was my Yeah, sprinting was my was my thing.
Speaker 4 (09:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Sorry, So essentially your Gout Gout I've got.
Speaker 4 (09:28):
But that's a whole other.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
And this is why Gout's dad tried to change his name,
and then Gout had to come out and be like that,
it's all right, this is just what it's been. And
you know what three years ago, Gout was watching the Wiggles.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
Out, Yeah, is it? Have you had actually on that?
Because who has come up to you? Would you say,
both of you that potentially you've been a little bit
star struck? Who've been starstruck by you? Because the Wiggles
literally is a part of so many people's lives, and
that includes celebrities. So who was the biggest celebrity fan
that you've encountered?
Speaker 6 (10:12):
It was last year in America. Robert de Niro. Yeah,
that was like, yeah, that was next level. But we
literally sat backstage for about an hour with Robert and
his fat Bob Bobby sorry, yeah, chatting with Robert de
Niro and his family for an hour before the show
in Brooklyn.
Speaker 4 (10:30):
Yeah, amazing.
Speaker 7 (10:31):
We're all pretending like we were.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
This is fine.
Speaker 4 (10:35):
Yeah, it was quite quite nerve wracking.
Speaker 7 (10:39):
What do you say, do you smile too much? Stand
back house?
Speaker 1 (10:42):
Probably the mutual nerves. He's probably nervous to meet you
guys because he's like, you're so much part of their
lives and vice versa. That's wild.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
You want to talk about the Godfather's normally it was.
Speaker 4 (10:53):
Just normal things his family and life. And there was
a great video he put up.
Speaker 6 (10:57):
He's on FaceTime with Martin Scorsese and mar Scorsese says, hey, Bob,
what are you doing now? And he shows his phone
to the screen He's watching the Wiggles and is like, hey,
great man, like, yeah, those things are while like, you know,
you could try everything in the world to try to
get Rob with the nero to a show. But like
(11:18):
we were saying earlier, if you're in the Wiggles zone
and your child into the Wiggles, you'll do everything you
can for your child to sort of facilitate that he
didn't have to pull too many strings to get to
come along.
Speaker 4 (11:29):
But it's pretty amazing.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
It's incredible to me because then you also have that
shared experience as a parent. Oh yeah, Like I think
sometimes the fact that the Wiggles are probably what raised
his kids or vice versa. It's just a universal thing
to love the Wiggles, and when you talk about how
special it is in the experience for the kids and
also for the parents. The first time I didn't realize
this until we're just thinking about now. The first time
(11:51):
that my eldest who's now three and a half said
I love you, was singing skin rink you do what
and yeah, and I just remember and he will go
on to bed and he just said he sung skin
rink you do and just said, oh, I love you
and then stopped and said I love you, mama. And
I was like old and I get like a bit,
but those sort of songs and also like you're part
(12:13):
of those moments for parents forever. And I know that
when I'm old, I'll listen to those songs and be
taken back to a really special time where my kids
had dance parties and it had to be the Wiggles,
and it's a certain order. Otherwise we're in big trouble
and they're just it's so special and it's also nice
of parents that they're the same songs that we grew
(12:33):
up with.
Speaker 5 (12:33):
Oh yeah, right over, Well, I'll tell you what.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
My next favorite one is Sparkle.
Speaker 4 (12:49):
Sparkles one talk to.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
Us a little bit about what's going on at the moment.
Speaker 6 (12:53):
Well, yeah, so Sparkle. We wrote Sparkle a couple of
years ago after watching Eurovision and when what would a
Wiggles europop song sound like? Look, you know, because we
never thought about it, and so we actually set out
just to create this song as a fun thing to do,
and we'd sort of, we'd do a bit, and then
we revisit, and then we finished this song. We called
(13:14):
it Sparkle and thought, this is actually a great song,
but it's so far removed from what we normally do.
What are we ever going to do with it? And
it really just sat in the bottom drawer for a
couple of years and us trying to figure out what
on earth would we do with this song Sparkle, given
that it's kind of outside of our normal world. And
then we all got together and thought, why don't we
create a YouTube special call it wiggle Vision based on
(13:38):
of course, you know, Wigglevision song contest, based on Eurovision
Song Contest, and have a bit of fun with it.
And that's kind of how it evolved, and that's why
we're now. We're all sparkled up and ready to go.
Speaker 7 (13:47):
And we won the competition. We won wiggle Vision with
the only entrance.
Speaker 6 (13:52):
Surprisingly, the Wiggles had never entered wiggle Vision before.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
I did say that we've never been asked to compare.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
I reckon you have Yeah, I was gonna say, have
you actually as the Wiggles been asked to compete for Eurovision,
because I think they go like, I'm not the real
the real one. Yeah, Like, don't get me wrong, wiggle
Vision incredible, but let's like you're the Wiggles.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
Like I feel like, if anything.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
If anything's Eurovision, it's you guys. And if any if,
at any time Australia could actually be allowed politically to win,
it would be with you.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
That's fair.
Speaker 6 (14:24):
Yeah, we do have a we have a dinosaur, don't
we We have a Dina, you know. But look a
lot of people have often said he the Wigles should
do wiggle Vision, wiggle Vision, but no, it's it's never
never come about. But this is our wiggle Vision, is
our version of Eurovision.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
I just think we put it out to Ethos Delta
good luck.
Speaker 4 (14:42):
I think she's singing.
Speaker 7 (14:43):
If they bring it to Australia next year, then it's easier.
Speaker 1 (14:45):
For you know what. She looks like. She's a member
of Sparkle.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
She does look like, Yes, she loves she's.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
Got the memo, Yeah, got the memo.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
How do you guys get the song out of your head? Yes,
after you sing it, because like listening to it it
is so catchy. Is there is there a technique?
Speaker 7 (15:01):
John?
Speaker 2 (15:02):
Is there a technique?
Speaker 7 (15:03):
I don't think we ever get it out of her head?
Like being parents ourselves. I go home and put the
Wiggles back on when I get home, So of course
you sparkle back on and you just have to live
with it. And it's it's good.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
You know.
Speaker 7 (15:14):
There's over I'd say more than a thousand songs two thousand.
Speaker 4 (15:17):
Songs, most of five thousand songs.
Speaker 6 (15:22):
And because we're always creating new music, I think that
new song takes the place of the one, the one
you've just done and you know, and then you've got
to when you know, like Sparkle, we wrote a while ago,
and so you've got to revisit those once you you know,
put it out there to remind yourself actually how it goes,
and then once again it gets stuck in there again.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
Do your kids, john do they know that it's you,
Like if you've put the Wiggles on for them? Are
they like, oh why?
Speaker 1 (15:45):
Dad?
Speaker 7 (15:45):
Both hang on the confused. He's probably not at the questioning.
He's only sixteen months. So he'll sit and watch it
and just go daddy, and he'll point at the screen
when I'm on the screen, and then look at me
and yes. So that's all he says at the moment
when he sees me on screen, and he seems to
know he knows all the characters. Now he'll start to
kind of mumble Simon and Ev and things like that.
So he's becoming familiar with the Wiggles and who they are.
(16:07):
And he doesn't call me big strong Johnny does say
Daddy when I want.
Speaker 4 (16:10):
It's very cute.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
That's so cute, that's such.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
You're like, that's cute.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
Your vote, It's got to keep John, Mum, big strong John,
Thank you. We do mention obviously being parents and navigating that.
The Wiggles have an amazing podcast called Wiggle Talk that
engages with parents, and I think sometimes when you have
that authority voice to parents, the warmth that comes from
it is just really different. I've loved some of the episodes,
particularly with Hugh Van kyleen Berger was just gorgeous. How
(16:40):
have you found that and venturing into something where you're
not targeting the kids, but you're more speaking to the parents.
Speaker 6 (16:45):
Yeah, look at a massive learning curve for Lockie and
I who hosts a podcast, because we're used to answering questions,
very very familiar with actually asking them and so it's
but we have incredible guests on. We always wanted to
talk more to the parents, but it didn't feel very
authentic until Lucky and I actually had children ourselves. And
(17:06):
once we had children ourselves, we were talking and they're
a similar age, talking about what the challenges we were
facing or just you know, day to day with children
we thought, well, if we're experiencing this and having these
questions and know all other parents must be doing the
same thing, and so now that we had children, we
felt we were able to officially.
Speaker 4 (17:26):
Joined the chapter to parents as parents.
Speaker 6 (17:28):
I don't know if parents are really put up with someone,
you know, giving parenting advice or talking about being a parent,
if they weren't themselves.
Speaker 4 (17:35):
So well, I.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
Can give feedback on that I don't have children, and
I often do give my two cents yeah, to tell
me a lot. I don't know if it necessarily work's
unsolicited advice. I feel like it goes down always well, John, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:48):
And I will often and I love my two boys
more than life. I will sometimes call Georgie and say,
don't do it. I literally got I go travel the world,
be wealthy, be your own boss.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
Go because wherein what will have to do?
Speaker 3 (18:05):
And it is affectionately called the trenches at the moment, John,
and then my younger sounds about the same age as
yours in just about to turn one and a half
and three and a half, and it's just it's really
full on. And you talk about again something like the
learnings that you had from not being parents to becoming parents.
It's such a sweeping question, but to you both, what
are the biggest lessons that you've learned from becoming dads?
Speaker 4 (18:26):
I think.
Speaker 6 (18:28):
Patience ultimately and connection. And so it's very easy to
come home from work and still have that ticking over
in your head the whole time, and you realize that
you're not being as present as you should be or
need to be for your child or for your family
as a whole. And I think that's what I've learned
(18:50):
the most, and a lot of it's come from the
incredible guests we've had on Wiggled Talk and understanding that
what they've been talking about, that the connection with your
child is the most important thing you can have, and
once you get home, you've just got to put things
aside and you be with them and be present with them.
And that that's been the biggest learning for me, because
sometimes it's hard to let things go when you walk
(19:11):
back in the front door. But having now done that,
and I think fairly successfully for a little while now,
it's made a massive difference.
Speaker 7 (19:17):
John beat that I'd have to agree, don't come home,
you've had a full day at work, you're tired, but yeah,
your partner, like our partner's loves and Jess, I've been
at home all day and that job I think is
ten times harder than actually working doing anything else because
you can't switch off, and when you come home, it's
up to us to try to alleviate that pressure and
(19:38):
just you know, just be in the moment then and
there we're all tired, and it's just doing your part
and just having fun and just embracing that. I think
we're all grateful that we're in this situation to be parents,
first of all, and just to be there and just
enjoy it because it will disappear. And I feel like
I'm almost scared that he's just going to grow up
and he's just going to move out, and you're just
going to think this is just.
Speaker 4 (19:57):
All gone, Big strong John.
Speaker 3 (19:59):
Who Yeah, he'll at least he'll need Big Strong John
to move out.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
That seems like a better process.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
I love that you how you phrased that, Simon in
that parenthood has taught you presence and has taught you
to want to have that connection. And I say this
with love, but I thought, as an Eels fan, you
actually may want to more prioritize, like disassociation especially in
(20:30):
the year of twenty twenty six. I heard that you
were on Eels ambassador. Is that true?
Speaker 6 (20:36):
Yes, for their foundation, so for their charitable foundation, which
just happened recently. But you know that the beauty of
the Paramatta Eels is it's taught me resilience.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
Yeah, well, we'll get the targets.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
We'll get there, John, I will get that.
Speaker 4 (20:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (20:55):
Look, I've been an ill support of my whole life.
My dad was an ill supporter. He supports There was
a play called Ken Thornett who was played for the Yels,
and that's so that's my dad supported the Yels and
early when I was young, it was the best team
you could support. In the early eighties and the eighties
we were winning everything. And then now forty years have
passed and you know, I can deal with anything in life,
(21:18):
it doesn't matter. What I love the most after a
win or a loss is going on social media and
looking at the comments.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
I'm so glad that you said looking is going on.
Speaker 4 (21:30):
Fans are brutal.
Speaker 3 (21:32):
They are sports fans and Georgie and I sometimes caught
their breath as being as being part of the sporting landscape.
But there's not much that doesn't make it through the
filter of should I send this.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
No, Yeah, they just go. They just commit, They commit
and look to be honest. Sometimes the internet's hilarious, but
sometimes you're like, Jesus, that's in text you with that there.
Speaker 3 (21:51):
Exactly what you said, then, Simon, is what I used
to say about Fremantle. And then gratefully I'm married into
another team. Because people like, what was the best thing
about support wdding Freemantle? I was like, well, the color purple, Yeah, clearly, John.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
But then also I was like.
Speaker 3 (22:05):
Oh god, we just get so close and we're so
far like it's an abusive relationship at this point. And
then my far better half played for another team and
I'm like, that'll do me, that will do me.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
What what happens when the Eels and Tigers play, Yes, well.
Speaker 6 (22:17):
Yeah that we we were actually in the UK when
the last and the Tigers won. There's always a bit
of a bit of rivalry, so there's a few We've
got Tigers, Bulldogs and Eels primarily, and a Bronco in
the Wiggles.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
But the Bronco who's the Bronco?
Speaker 4 (22:34):
Who's the Bronco Locky?
Speaker 2 (22:37):
Of course he is named after Darren Lockyer. I can
only said it makes sense.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
It's beautiful lockey and there's Georgie's favorite Wiggles sorry, the
Marone wiggle.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
Yeah, purple is Maron when you think about it.
Speaker 6 (22:54):
But we love you know that that our skivvy is here.
The V on our skivvies is designed an n R
l G. That's the original design. That's why we have it.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
I did not know that you sell them because Georgie
is a heartbeat away for a guys.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
We need to I know. I mean I do not
need to be telling you about merch. But you need
to do a Wiggles collab with every NRL teacher. Yeah, yes,
you must, you must, you must. I would take one
in every color, every single color.
Speaker 6 (23:22):
That's how much Rugby League is a big thing amongst
the Wiggles.
Speaker 4 (23:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
Oh wow, Now I can't Now, I can't look away
because it's giving the red V for the dragons, isn't it,
especially yours Simon. Yeah, Jelemy, you have to join. You
have to come over to the league sign.
Speaker 1 (23:35):
No, I never will. Yeah, I know who I am
one of us.
Speaker 4 (23:40):
John wants to do a fil just so he can
cut his sleeves.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
Off chasing me now, Now, John, I don't want to
embarrass you, but I feel that Simon here has just
actually opened the door for this. So are you aware
that potentially you're a bit of a first trap for
a lot of mumps out there and dads and dads
(24:04):
and do just enjoy watching the Wiggles for you too?
Speaker 7 (24:06):
First trap? First, I've heard of that term, you know,
I didn't know what that term meant until it was
a headline somewhere. I'm like, what does that even mean?
Speaker 3 (24:17):
But is that something that I don't know if people
would be so forwardcoming writing that about women as opposed
to like, does it make you uncomfortable or is it
just something as part of the job.
Speaker 7 (24:27):
I just I just have a laugh about it. Met
me and Jesse. We laugh about it, and it's it's
a weird thing. It's really weird. I was in a
pop music group for years. I was never the headline,
and now you know we're entertaining children and I'm a
family man. Now you know, it's just different. And now
I'm just I get that title. It's just yeah, you
don't know, you don't know what to say about it.
I just we have a laugh and it's just it's
(24:48):
a positive thing. And I guess if roles were reversed
or if I just played victim one day, it's a
different story.
Speaker 5 (24:54):
But you know.
Speaker 7 (24:56):
I'm going to abuse online.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
You're just one day being like me too. I'm being
objective fied online.
Speaker 7 (25:01):
Now you know it's but you are. I'm just being myself.
And I love to stay healthy and fit and and
the wear tight clothes. And I think there's pretty innocent
if you ask me.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
And that's your right, John, that's your right. You live
your truth.
Speaker 1 (25:16):
We now need to see the tailored Oh I can't
have it.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
It must be seen. Guys, before we let you go,
been so generous with your time. We were hoping to
play a little bit of a game with you, whereas
we've got to We've got five wiggle songs here. I'm
not going to tell you, well, we're gonna We're gonna
reveal them as they go. But I would love you
to do a blind ranking each of you one to five.
One is best, one is best, and then five is
(25:40):
like still good, still good, but not okay. This is
the ranking. You just won't know what song's coming at you.
So you've just got to you gotta If you want
to go early and say that's number one, you got
to commit because play.
Speaker 1 (25:52):
I don't know what the songs are.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
Okay, you don't know the song more wiggles and either
of the Okay, I mean, okay.
Speaker 2 (25:59):
Welcome Jigo sports Blind ranking. Here we go, Simon, John
and Abby Wiggle.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (26:07):
First song. Simon says, Oh.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
That's an attack.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
Where does it go?
Speaker 4 (26:10):
Oh, it has to be number one, Simon.
Speaker 1 (26:15):
Okay.
Speaker 7 (26:16):
Simon says, is a good one. I'm going to give
it number two in case there's a big strong John
song coming.
Speaker 1 (26:21):
Up to be.
Speaker 3 (26:25):
Okay, I'll go number two, number two only because if
skin rings in there, I can't check you.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
Come on, you guys are crazy.
Speaker 2 (26:32):
Have you done this before? You've got so much. We've
got so many to go here, George Bee Okay, okay,
elephant or but obviously we'll see.
Speaker 4 (26:47):
I mean it won the hottest one hundred.
Speaker 2 (26:49):
It did it? Did? You can't have it as your
number one?
Speaker 6 (26:52):
No, I can't use that number one. I'll do I'll
do number three, number three.
Speaker 4 (26:58):
It is a good song.
Speaker 7 (26:59):
I haven't played it for my son yet, so i'll
give that just based on that, I'll give it a
number four before.
Speaker 2 (27:04):
Okay, Okay, that's true.
Speaker 3 (27:06):
I'm ranking these as accordings to how they would soothe
my children, and I'm going to go number five, number five,
I know.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
Okay, Hot Potato No.
Speaker 7 (27:15):
One, that's one for me.
Speaker 4 (27:18):
I think I have to take number two.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
Now, Gee, that's Simon.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
That's Simon's like Simon says, Simon's better.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
Than hot Potato. That's the headline to come out of the.
Speaker 2 (27:34):
Sparkle.
Speaker 1 (27:35):
Oh, it's real hard.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
That's only because that's just because of where it is.
I understand the hard choices.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
I'm going to go three because it's the hardest I
can give it.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
Okay, this is stressful. It's so stressful. Life is stressful, Jimmy, Okay,
this is number five. Okay, yeah, this is not okay, Yes,
And this is why blind rankings are really hard, Okay,
because I think all of your spots, it's going to
have to be like the last one for a couple
of you. Okay, this is this song? Where does in
(28:10):
your top five wiggle songs? Fruit Salad go on?
Speaker 3 (28:15):
I was I was explaining to Georgie that there's a
version that very much is like everyone's included the new
version of fruit salad, and we're all for fruit.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
Salad, fruits and we're all from the same bowl.
Speaker 7 (28:27):
It's beautiful you're talking about you're talking about which version.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
You just learn so much about you, so much next
to the I have to.
Speaker 4 (28:41):
Be number five.
Speaker 7 (28:41):
I mean, yeah, I'd give it a number one.
Speaker 2 (28:46):
I could, but you can look potato potato.
Speaker 1 (28:49):
Yeah, potatoes potato.
Speaker 5 (28:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:52):
You're a veggie, man, I know, but you'd only eat
sweet potato.
Speaker 4 (28:57):
Small.
Speaker 1 (28:58):
You're healthy so much.
Speaker 2 (28:59):
I didn't study nutrition, John.
Speaker 1 (29:02):
John's not having fruit too much glucose.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
You're so right. You're so right, guys.
Speaker 1 (29:07):
I hope you enjoyed that.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
Number five, number five, number five, number five, number five. Guys,
thank you so much for coming on to good Sports
and joining us in our unhingedness and meeting us and
sometimes even passing, really, which is a.
Speaker 1 (29:23):
Two leagues to Georgie's. We love that. What what's on
for me? What's on for the rest of the day?
Are you sparkling elsewhere? Do you wear the kit for
the rest of the day.
Speaker 4 (29:34):
Yeah, I mean we'll just leave this walk down the street,
you know, anyone in traffic.
Speaker 1 (29:45):
Back to the office.
Speaker 4 (29:46):
We've got We've got a bit on at the moment.
But yeah, look, you know you.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
Have an office.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
That's what just stunned me.
Speaker 6 (29:53):
What, yeah, is where all the the offices, all our
start the staff are and our TV studio, recording studio.
Everything is in one building in Sydney, so we are
aware out there every.
Speaker 1 (30:08):
Day reality show.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
We need a reality show. We also need a theme park.
That's what's definitely you can go to dream World if
you like.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
Yeah, big red boat.
Speaker 2 (30:22):
God, I've not been too long since I've been there.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
Yeah, No, we need to we need to go there.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
Take the Wiggles on the road with two good sports. Yeah,
get Peter Blandy's on.
Speaker 3 (30:29):
Get the collab Yeah peterland Yeah, he'd a collab'd Our
people will call your people Hoppotato Studios at Wiggletown. Team,
thank you so so much. We really appreciate your time
and thank you for all the memories you've already given
my family and more so, thank you.
Speaker 4 (30:43):
Oh that's lovely great to chat with you both. Thanks
for having us
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