Yellow Wiggle Emma Watkins performs for the last time with the beloved children’s group: “It is a bittersweet day”

After more than 10 years performing in one of the world’s most recognised children’s entertainment groups, Yellow Wiggle Emma Watkins has hung up her skivvy for good.

Emma said her final official day working with The Wiggles was “bittersweet,” but is looking forward to new opportunities that await her.

“The time has come where I say a fond Wiggly farewell to all the beautiful families around the world,” she told The Daily Telegraph.

“It is a bittersweet day, as my last official day working as a Wiggle, as I am sad to be leaving the group I have cherished being a part of, but I’m also very excited about my next chapter.”

Emma’s final public appearance with the beloved children’s group was on Tuesday, when she met with fans at Harvey Norman in Sydney.

The 32-year-old will also appear in Thursday’s Carols in the Domain which was her last prerecorded performance with the band.

“It was so special that the OG Wiggles were on stage with us for this performance, especially Greg (Page), who entrusted me to carry on the Yellow Wiggle legacy for the last nine years,” she said.

Emma has been a part of The Wiggles lineup for 11 years, and she has worn the yellow skivvy for nine of those.

She began her career on the children show, playing supporting character Fairy Larissa, and she also performed as Wags the Dog and Dorothy the Dinosaur.

Emma’s successor is 16-year-old high school student Tsehay Hawkins, whose impressive achievements in the world of dance make her fit for the role.

“It is my honour to hand the yellow skivvy to Tsehay who I know will shine as the new Yellow Wiggle. Being onstage with my fellow Wiggles felt like such a lovely way to finish off this year and a decade of Wiggling that I will remember forever,” Emma said.

Tsehay, who represented Australia at the World Latin Dance Championships, joined the team in 2020 as a backup performer, making her first appearance in the Wiggles’ viral TikTok of the dance trend Renegade.

Emma announced her departure from the group in October, saying she has plans to complete her PhD in film studies, and she wants to do more work for the deaf community.

“I am looking forward to finishing my research for my PhD, exploring effective and creative integrations of dance and sign language onscreen,” she said.

Emma previously said that the pandemic gave her time to reflect on “what is important in life,” which prompted her decision to hang up her yellow skivvy.

“Like many people around the world, the pandemic has given me time to reflect on what is important in life. For me, that means spending more time at home, something that I didn’t realise I was missing out on being away eight months of the year on tour, but something that I have really cherished over the last 18 months,” she said.

To sign off her announcement, Emma thanked The Wiggles for changing her life.

“I am eternally grateful to The Wiggles for giving me the amazing opportunity to be the first female Wiggle, a role that I have loved and one that has brought me so much joy and an abundance of bowtiful memories that I will treasure forever.

“As The Wiggles continue to evolve and someone new now steps into the yellow skivvy, I look forward to seeing children and families embrace them, just as I was when I began.”