'Teletubbies' Sun Baby Jess Smith Welcomes Baby Girl of Her Own

Some wholesome news for your weekend!

'Teletubbies' Sun Baby Jess Smith and her daughter
(Image credit: Courtesy of Jess Smith / Instagram / Teletubbies - WildBrain / YouTube)

Sit tight, because I'm about to unlock some core memories in you: The child actress who played the Teletubbies sun baby on the famous kids' show just welcomed a baby girl of her own.

Jess Smith confirmed on Instagram in January that she had welcomed her first child with partner Ricky Latham, posting an adorable picture of the little girl's tiny hand with the caption, "One whole week of you."

A post shared by Jess & Ricky & Poppy 🌻🩷

A photo posted by j.smith_1995 on

Smith later confirmed that her daughter's name is Poppy Rae Latham, with her middle name reminiscent of a sun ray—as a potential nod to her mom's TV role.

The new mom was cast on the show—which ran from 1998 to 2001—when she was nine months old. In case you, your younger siblings, or your children didn't watch the show, Smith's role consisted of being a smiling, laughing baby with piercing blue eyes, whose face served as the face of the sun, i.e. the most wholesome thing to ever happen on television.

Shortly after she turned 19, Smith told the story of how she was cast on Teletubbies and how we were blessed with those precious baby giggles.

"While recording my dad held a teddy bear behind the camera to get me to laugh, and rolled a toy racing car to get me to look down at the camera," she wrote on Facebook, as she recently reposted on Instagram. Awwww!!!!

A post shared by Jess & Ricky & Poppy 🌻🩷

A photo posted by j.smith_1995 on

According to her iMDb page, Smith didn't go on to pursue acting, only appearing on the British TV series Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable once in 2022.

Congratulations to the new parents!

A post shared by Jess & Ricky & Poppy 🌻🩷

A photo posted by j.smith_1995 on

Iris Goldsztajn
Morning Editor

Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Bustle and Shape. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.