He’s six feet tall. Think about that for a second. If you ran into Tinky Winky in a dark alley, you’d be looking up at a towering, purple, triangular-antennaed giant. Most people remember the Teletubbies as these tiny, doll-like creatures, but the reality on the set of Teletubbyland was much more imposing. Tinky Winky, the eldest and largest of the quartet, has spent over two decades as a cultural lightning rod. People loved him. Some people—mostly adults with too much time on their hands—were weirdly afraid of him.
But honestly? Tinky Winky is just a masterpiece of character design that accidentally stumbled into the middle of a culture war.
When Anne Wood and Andrew Davenport created the show for the BBC in 1997, they weren't trying to start a revolution. They wanted to capture the way toddlers actually see the world. That meant bright colors, repetition, and "Noo-noo" vacuums. Tinky Winky was designed to be the gentle leader. He’s the one who carries the red bag. He’s the one who loves to dance. He’s the one who, quite frankly, bore the brunt of some of the most bizarre media scrutiny in the history of children’s television.
The Controversy That Wouldn't Die
You can't talk about Tinky Winky without talking about Jerry Falwell. In 1999, the late televangelist decided to take a stand against a fictional character made of foam and faux fur. Falwell claimed that Tinky Winky was a "gay role model" because he was purple (the pride color, apparently) and had a triangular antenna (the triangle being a symbol).
It sounds ridiculous now. It was pretty ridiculous then, too.
The "red bag" was the smoking gun for Falwell. He called it a purse. The BBC and Ragdoll Productions had to actually put out statements explaining that it was a "magic bag" and that Tinky Winky isn't a human—he's a Teletubby. He's a technological alien-baby-hybrid thing. He doesn't have a sexual orientation. He’s a three-year-old in spirit.
Ken Viselman, who was the head of the company that licensed Teletubbies in the US, had the best response to the whole ordeal. He basically said that if a child sees a boy carrying a bag and thinks that’s okay, then that child is growing up to be a kinder, more accepting person. Period. The backlash eventually faded, but it cemented Tinky Winky as a pop-culture icon for the LGBTQ+ community anyway. Sometimes, when you try to demonize something, you just end up making it a hero for the people you're attacking.
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Who Was Under the Suit?
Being Tinky Winky wasn't exactly a glamorous gig. Imagine wearing a heavy, hot, 60-pound costume for hours while running around a man-made hill in Warwickshire.
Dave Thompson was the original actor. He's a comedian, and he brought a certain frantic energy to the role. However, he was famously asked to leave after the first season. There’s been a lot of gossip about why, but Thompson has said he was told his "interpretation" of the role wasn't right. He supposedly walked a bit too daintily or didn't fit the "vibe" the producers wanted.
Then came Simon Shelton.
Shelton was a trained ballet dancer and choreographer. He took over the purple suit and stayed there for the remainder of the original run. He was the one who really defined how Tinky Winky moved. If you watch closely, Tinky Winky has this specific, rhythmic way of walking and falling over. That’s the dancer in Shelton coming out. Sadly, Shelton passed away in 2018, but his legacy is literally etched into the childhoods of millions of Gen Z and Millennial kids. He always spoke fondly of the role, despite the "purse" controversy, often saying that the Teletubbies were about love, not labels.
The Physics of Teletubbyland
Let's get back to the size thing. It’s a common misconception that the show was filmed on a tiny set.
- The Tinky Winky costume stood about 10 feet tall if you count the antenna.
- The rabbits on set? Those weren't normal bunnies. They were Flemish Giants.
- Standard rabbits looked like specks next to the actors, so the production had to breed massive rabbits so they looked "normal-sized" on camera.
- The "Tubbytronic Superdome" was a massive earth-sheltered structure built on a farm.
When the show ended, the owner of the farm where it was filmed actually had to flood the set because tourists wouldn't stop trespassing to see the "Home Hill." It’s now a pond. It's a bit of a somber end for such a bright place, but it goes to show how obsessive the fandom—and the curiosity—around Tinky Winky and his friends really was.
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Why the Design Worked
Psychologically, Tinky Winky is a comfort character. The color purple is associated with royalty but also with mystery and calm. The triangle is a stable shape. When you're a toddler, everything is big and confusing. Tinky Winky provided a sense of "big but safe."
His obsession with his red bag is actually a very accurate observation of child development. Toddlers love "transitional objects." They love to carry things around. It gives them a sense of agency and ownership. By having the biggest Teletubby carry a bag, the creators were validating a very common behavior in their target audience.
The 2015 Revival and Netflix Era
The world didn't stop needing Teletubbies. In 2015, the show was rebooted with a fresh look. The costumes were slightly more streamlined, the "tummy screens" became touchscreens (because of course they did), and Tiddlytubbies were introduced.
Jeremiah Krage took over the role of Tinky Winky in this era. The show kept the core essence—the "Eh-oh!" and the Big Hugs—but the tech got a massive upgrade. Then, Netflix jumped in for a 2022 revival narrated by Tituss Burgess. It’s fascinating that while other shows from the 90s have died out, Tinky Winky remains a constant. He’s like Mickey Mouse for the pre-school set, but with more baggage—literally and figuratively.
Facts Most People Forget
People think they know everything about the show because it's "for babies," but there are some weirdly specific details that get lost.
For instance, the Teletubbies are supposedly 7 to 10 feet tall, but they have the proportions of infants. This creates a visual dissonance that some adults find "creepy," a phenomenon often linked to the Uncanny Valley. However, children don't see it that way. They see a peer.
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Another thing? The voices. Tinky Winky’s voice was always deep but soft. In the original series, he was voiced by the actors in the suits, which added a layer of physical performance that’s often missing in modern CGI-heavy kids' shows. When Tinky Winky falls down, you hear the "oomph" of a real person hitting the grass. That groundedness is why it worked.
How to Reconnect with Tinky Winky Today
If you’re feeling nostalgic or if you have kids of your own, navigating the world of Tinky Winky is actually pretty easy. You don't have to rely on grainy VHS tapes anymore.
Where to Watch
The official Teletubbies YouTube channel is a goldmine. They have remastered clips of the original Tinky Winky (the Simon Shelton era) and the newer versions. Netflix is the go-to for the high-definition, modern iteration.
Spotting the Differences
If you want to be a real nerd about it, look at the tummy screens. In the 90s version, the footage shown on their stomachs was actual 16mm or 35mm film of real children. In the newer versions, it’s digital 4K. The "vibe" is totally different. The original has a soft, hazy, dream-like quality, while the new one is crisp and bright.
Collectibles
Vintage Tinky Winky dolls from the late 90s—specifically the "Talking Tinky Winky" by Playskool—are becoming actual collector's items. If you find one with the original red bag intact, hang onto it.
The Actionable Takeaway
Tinky Winky isn't just a purple blob. He's a case study in how adult anxieties can be projected onto harmless children's media. He’s also a testament to the power of simple, empathetic character design.
If you want to introduce a child to the character, start with the "Dance with the Teletubbies" segments. They encourage gross motor skills and mimicry, which is exactly what Tinky Winky was designed for. Forget the 90s headlines and the political nonsense. Look at the character through the eyes of a two-year-old: he’s big, he’s purple, he has a cool bag, and he gives great hugs. That’s all he was ever supposed to be.
To see the evolution for yourself, compare a clip of the 1997 "Stretching" segment with the 2022 Netflix version. You’ll notice that while the technology changes, Tinky Winky’s role as the gentle, slightly clumsy "big brother" of the group remains completely untouched. He is the anchor of the show, proving that some things—like a purple giant with a magic bag—are truly timeless.