Emma Watkins — a.k.a Yellow Wiggle Emma — has been forced to pull out of upcoming shows due to a chronic health condition.
The 28-year-old is suffering from endometriosis, an often painful disorder in which tissue that normally lines the inside of your uterus — the endometrium — grows outside your uterus.
She will undergo surgery next week to help treat the crippling condition — a decision which she described as “difficult.”
“I have been in a lot of pain or the past couple of years,” the much-loved performer told the Daily Telegraph.
Speaking directly to others who may be suffering, she added: “Put your health first and get a diagnosis so that you are in the best position to manage this crippling disease.”
Emma will be replaced by an understudy at shows on Tuesday on the Gold Coast, and later in April in South Australia and next month across NSW.
Emma wiggled her way into our hearts first as Fairy Larissa, then as Wags the Dog, Dorothy the Dinosaur and as a Wiggly Dancer before she was announced as the first female Wiggle.
She then dated fellow performer Lachlan Gillespie (Purple Wiggle) for two years before tying the knot in 2016.
The musical duo said “I do” at Hopewood House in beautiful Bowral, in the NSW Southern Highlands.
Emma looked radiant in an elegant ivory vintage-meets-contemporary gown by Australian designer Suzanne Harward. She completed the look with a crystal headpiece by milliner Viktoria Novak.
Lachy, 32, gave a node to his Scottish heritage by donning a tartan sash across his suit. The purple frontman of the children’s group included his fellow band members on the special day, with fellow red Wiggle Simon Pryce one of his six groomsmen.
Speaking of his breathtaking bride, Lachy said: “Seeing Emma was the most magical moment of my life. Everything else just seemed to melt away.”
While Emma summed up the incredible day with these touching words: “Lachy. Love. Laughter. The best day of my life.”
We wish the beloved performer a very speedy recovery!
