Pui Fan Lee

Last updated

Pui Fan Lee
Born1969or1970(age 54–55)
Nottingham, England
NationalityBritish
Occupations
  • Actress
  • television presenter
Television Teletubbies
CBeebies
Show Me Show Me

Pui Fan Lee (born 1969or1970 [1] ) is an English actress and television presenter. She is known for portraying Po in the original run of the children's television series Teletubbies between 1997 and 2001, [2] and for presenting the CBeebies preschool education series Show Me Show Me . [3]

Contents

Early life and education

Lee's family came from Hong Kong. [4] [5] She was born in Birmingham, [6] and grew up in Nottingham, where her family helped to run a Chinese take-away.

Career

Lee's first television experience came as a member of the Central Junior Television Workshop, set up by the ITV Franchise holder of the time,Central Independent Television.[ citation needed ] The workshop was based in Central's two studio locations of Birmingham & Nottingham, and from the Nottingham workshop, she was selected and cast as Hannah in the Children's ITV drama series, Murphy's Mob at the age of 13.[ citation needed ]

She would later go on to study at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), and once qualified, appeared in a number of tv shows before successfully applying and securing the role of Po in a new CBBC show called Teletubbies. Lee was not only the voice of the character but also was inside the costume for 365 episodes between 1997 and 2001. [7] [8]

Along with Sue Monroe, Chris Jarvis, and Sidney Sloane, Lee was one of the first presenters on CBeebies, the BBC digital television channel for younger children. [9] Lee, alongside Chris Jarvis, were the first presenters to introduce programming on the CBeebies channel. [3]

In 2004, Lee had a minor role as a Thai jail girl in the 2004 film Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason . [1]

In 2006, Lee presented the BBC programme Fun with Phonics .

In 2019, Lee made a guest appearance in the British soap opera EastEnders . [2]

From 2021-2023, Lee appeared as Su Ping Lam on HBO's The Nevers .[ citation needed ]

Personal life

Lee lives in North London. [10]

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References

  1. 1 2 "Red Teletubby unmasked". Enfield Independent. 30 January 2014. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Teletubbies star Pui Fan Lee makes a guest appearance in EastEnders". Entertainment Daily. 13 November 2019. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  3. 1 2 "Interview: CBeebies' Chris Jarvis on The Chris & Pui Roadshow". The List. 14 October 2013. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  4. "BBC - Press Office - BBC Global Channels Asia-Pacific launches three channels on Hong Kong's now TV". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  5. "Pui Fan Lee". sheil-land. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  6. Broadhead, Ivan (20 February 2011). "Diaspora diaries". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  7. "Pui Fan Lee". www.nmplive.co.uk.
  8. "Where are the Teletubbies, 20 years on?". New Statesman. 6 April 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  9. Swettenham, Lee (26 January 2015). "CBeebies". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  10. "Diaspora diaries". South China Morning Post. 20 February 2011. Retrieved 4 May 2022.