Before Jess Smith became the smiling face above Teletubbyland, she was a baby attending a routine hospital appointment. That everyday visit unexpectedly opened the door to a television role that viewers would remember for decades.

Speaking to UNILAD, Smith explained that hospital staff asked for suggestions for a new television program. Her mother agreed to put her forward, and auditions followed. At just nine months old, Smith was chosen to become the sun baby in Teletubbies.

The payment was modest: according to the report, she received £250 and some soft toys. The familiar face seen by generations of children began with a small fee and a chance introduction.

Smith believes the auditions may have involved checking her laughter and whether she would laugh when needed. However, she presented that explanation as an assumption rather than a confirmed production detail.

Today, her connection to the program has taken on a more personal meaning. A mother of two, Smith told UNILAD that she occasionally puts Teletubbies on for her daughters. They recognize her baby face in the sun, point at the screen, and call her “mommy.”

Photo: j.smith_1995/Instagram

Despite her place in the show’s history, Smith said she doesn't remember watching it herself. She has also kept her involvement private, while valuing it as part of her life.

For longtime viewers, she remains a familiar childhood face. For her daughters, that same image is something much closer to home: their mother as a baby, smiling back from the television.

Source: Jess Smith’s interview with UNILAD.