The role of Peppa Pig is a “dream come true” for the nine-year-old actress who is taking over as the voice of the much-loved cartoon character.
Amelie Bea Smith is the fourth voice artist to bring the famous pig to life in the pre-school animated British TV series, which has become a hit around the world.
Smith is following in the footsteps of Harley Bird, 18, who has voiced Peppa from the age of five, and won a Bafta for the role in 2011.
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, and has appeared in 185 episodes of the cartoon about the anthropomorphic female pig, and her family and friends.
Smith, who appeared in several episodes of EastEnders in 2018 and 2019, will first appear in the Peppa Pig episode on Valentine’s Day.
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.”
Outgoing star Bird added: “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.”
As well as voicing the character in the TV series, Bird, who is in her final year of A-Levels, also performed songs for the recent Peppa Pig My First Album release.
Smith'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.
