Original Teletubbies reveal staggering cost of iconic costume

When it comes to children's shows, few are as iconic as the Teletubbies.

The BAFTA-award- program premiered on BBC2 in 1997 and introduced the world to Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa laa and Po, creating a billion-dollar empire which aired in over 120 countries, sparking spin-offs and reboots.

Nikki Smedley and John Simmit played Laa Laa and Dipsy respectively and they told Today Extra it's strange to think the show carries such an incredible and ongoing legacy.

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"It's weird, you'll check your inbox or DMs and there'll be loads of people saying, 'you made my childhood wonderful, thank you,'" John said.

"Which is great, genuinely great and what do I say to that, that you impacted someone you've never met in such a way?"

John continues working as a stand-up comedian and Nikki has a podcast, sharing behind the scenes stories of her time on the show.

"I'm enormously proud to have been part of it and John and I are still good friends and it's certainly remained an important part of our lives," Nikki said.

John revealed he still has the original hands of the costume and he can actually still fit into it, but he wasn't allowed to keep the whole suit.

"That suit was by far the most expensive thing I've ever worn, nearly $30,000 I think," he said.

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"But the creators Anne Wood and Andy Davenport were visionary, their work has stood the test of time and we're humbled and weirded out at the same time by the impact it's had."

Nikki also commended the creators and their understanding of how a child's mind works."

To still have this longevity, it's brilliant and I'm enormously proud to have been part of it," she said.

Check out the full chat with the original Teletubbies in the video above