Emma Watkins


Emma Olivia Watkins is an Australian singer and actress, best known as the first female member of the children's group The Wiggles.

Early life

Watkins started ballet when she was four. She saw The Wiggles perform Irish dancing and later studied other styles of dance, including, jazz, hip hop, tap, and contemporary. She attended The McDonald College, a performing arts school, won a full scholarship at the Sydney Film School, and completed a certificate specialising in musical theatre at ED5 International in Sydney. Watkins earned a master's degree in Media Arts in Communication at the University of Technology Sydney. She has taught children dance since she was in high school. She has also performed in Bollywood films, played drums and percussion instruments, was crowned Miss Granny Smith Apples in 2009, and was learning Australian Sign Language by 2012.

Career

In 2010, Watkins began performing with The Wiggles, first as Fairy Larissa and then as Wags the Dog, Dorothy the Dinosaur, and as a Wiggly Dancer. She used her film skills during tours with the group, providing them with video and editing services. In May 2012, The Wiggles announced that Watkins would replace founding member Greg Page as the Yellow Wiggle and the first female Wiggle. The original members stated that they chose Watkins because she was the most qualified for the job, and commented that it was "a strategy for marketing The Wiggles into the next generation".
Lisa Tolin of the Associated Press called Watkins a strong role model for girls, and reported that her fans came to concerts dressed like her and that they gave her homemade bows, which had become part of her signature look. Because of her popularity, she starred in the children's program on ABC Kids titled Emma!, consisting of episodes that are five minutes long, that premiered on 1 June 2015.
In September 2019, it was announced that Watkins would host weekend afternoon programs on Sydney and Melbourne radio station smoothfm.

Personal life

Watkins and fellow Wiggles performer Lachlan Gillespie were married on 9 April 2016 at Hopewood House in Bowral, New South Wales.
On 3 August 2018, Watkins and Gillespie announced their separation.
In April 2018, Watkins was forced to withdraw from several shows, due to pain from severe endometriosis. She underwent surgery after being diagnosed with Stage IV endometriosis. Her specialist, Professor Jason Abbott, believes that Watkins' speaking out about the disease helped raise awareness.

Videography