Wiggles star Emma Watkins reveals how she 'burned through' her savings after earning '$750,000 per year' with the children's group
Share:
Former Wiggles star Emma Watkins has revealed how she 'burned through' her savings after leaving the iconic kids group in 2021. The 35-year-old became the first female Wiggle after putting on the yellow skivvy in 2012 and replacing founding member Greg Page.
![[Speaking to Osher Gunsberg on his Better Than Yesterday podcast recently, Emma revealed that her decision to leave the Wiggles to create the Emma Memma character had come at quite the cost. Emma (second left) is pictured with (from left) Simon Pryce, Lachlan Gillespie, and Anthony Field]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/17/01/93215915-14199731-Speaking_to_Osher_Gunsberg_on_his_Better_Than_Yesterday_podcast_-a-64_1734397617620.jpg)
Speaking to Osher Günsberg on his Better Than Yesterday podcast, Emma revealed that her decision to leave the Wiggles to create her new Emma Memma character came at quite the cost. Osher asked Emma if she did 'a financial inventory' before embarking on her solo venture.
![[She went on to explain that after leaving the group in October 2021, she set about creating the Emma Memma character as well as going back to full-time study, which proved to be a drain on her finances]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/17/01/93215905-14199731-_When_I_left_The_Wiggles_I_actually_went_back_to_full_time_study-a-65_1734397617621.jpg)
'I feel like the inventory has only happened more recently to see how much money we have burned through,' Emma said. According to Woman's Day, Emma was paid a reported $750,000 per year for her role as the Yellow Wiggle. Wiggles star Emma Watkins has revealed how she 'burned through' her savings after leaving the iconic kids group.
![['Only at the end of 12 months did we start to get some bites for the business. Which put us in a tricky spot because then you have to put in more cash to go into year two,' she said]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/17/01/93215907-14199731-_Only_at_the_end_of_12_months_did_we_start_to_get_some_bites_for-a-66_1734397617621.jpg)
She went on to explain that after leaving the group in October 2021, she set about creating the Emma Memma character as well as going back to full-time study, which proved to be a drain on her finances. 'When I left The Wiggles I actually went back to full time study,' Emma explained.
![[Emma became the first female Wiggle after putting on the yellow skivvy in 2012 and replacing founding member Greg Page]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/17/01/93215911-14199731-Emma_35_became_the_first_ever_female_Wiggle_putting_on_the_yello-a-67_1734397617640.jpg)
'The whole premise was I was going to finish my PHD, that became the whole focus - but of course that wasn't bringing in any revenue.'. Emma debuted her own children's entertainment character Emma Memma in 2022, winning an ARIA for Best Children's album in 2023.
