Bill Bailey joins Winnie and Wilbur on Channel 5’s Milkshake!
Skwigly
The team behind Winnie and Wilbur, a new addition to Channel 5’s preschool strand Milkshake, have just announced the addition of UK comedy staple Bill Bailey (Black Books, Never Mind the Buzzcocks) to their cast roster in the role of Wilbur the cat. The new show, based on the popular OUP children’s book series Winnie the Witch by Valerie Thomas and Korky Paul, sees Bailey paired with comedian Katy Brand who was announced as the voice of the titular Winnie last November.
Winnie the Witch is already a huge hit with kids all over the world so I’m delighted to bring Wilbur to life. I’ve got a lot in common with this cat: we’re both extremely agile, we both love cheesecake, and given half a chance, we like to fall asleep in a cosy basket.
-Bill Bailey
Presently touring his latest live show Limboland, Bill Bailey is known for his unique approach to combining offbeat comedy with his superb musical talent.
Bill is the ideal choice for Wilbur and audiences will be truly tickled by his performance. Bill and Katy are a dream team as our lead characters and I cannot wait for the series to premiere on Milkshake.
-Clair Robinson, Acting Head of Children’s at Channel 5
First published in 1987, the Winnie the Witch books series follows the adventures of unpredictable witch Winnie and her long-suffering feline companion Wilbur. To date the books have sold over 7 million copies internationally and Winduna/King Rollo’s animated series adaptation will take the form of 52 eleven-minute episodes targeted toward preschoolers, with a visual style that aims to capture the lively graphical style of Korky Paul’s original illustrations. The series will air on Milkshake in 2017.