It’s a long story with a happy ending... The Wiggles, who have charmed children the world over, are back in Oxford on Saturday, for the last time. And with them will be original member Greg Page (the yellow Wiggle), who has been absent in recent years due to illness. Katherine MacAlister talks to him about the trials and tribulations of being a Wiggle and his triumphant return.

If you have small kids you’ll know exactly who Greg Wiggles is. If not, you’ll surely at least be aware of the bouncy Australian man-band that has dominated kids telly for the last decade or so.

Yellow Wiggle Greg has been with the outfit from the start, which got together an incredible 21 years ago. He’s in Australia when we talk, preparing for the mammoth last Wiggles tour.

Greg actually thought he’d finished his Wiggles days back in 2006 when he retired due to a mystery illness which left him too ill to perform. Eventually he was diagnosed with Orthostatic Intolerance (OI), which leaves sufferers over-whelmingly fatigued when they stand up. It’s taken Greg many years and loads of determination to figure out how to live with OI.

There is a plus side though. Time off meant that he met his wife, had two children and settled down.

At the moment Greg is able to manage his condition, and so was delighted when The Wiggles invited him to rejoin them. Still, it must have been a worry how he would cope with months of touring and performing?

”Well, I’ve been back since the start of the year and we’ve completed an eight-week tour in Australia, and am very much looking forward to coming back to the UK. But I just have to be careful,” explains Greg.

“This time I know how to look after myself. Because although The Wiggles is a very physical show, I know how OI works now, what to look our for and how to deal with it. So when the guys asked if I could come back and perform, I said I’d give it a go.”

So will he miss being at home?

“Of course, but my wife knows how much I love performing with The Wiggles and it means I will have closure,” he says.

“And besides, I’ve missed the camaraderie. So now I’ve got a second chance – although I never took it for granted first time around,” he adds quickly.

So what does Greg put The Wiggles’s success and longevity down to?

“We keep the standards high and the TV shows are good quality. We have a benchmark and it keeps people on their toes. And it’s all designed to engage children, which it does,” explains Greg.

It’s worth pointing out that The Wiggles met at university where they were doing nursery teacher training.

“There is a real chemistry between the four original Wiggles,” says Greg, “which has always been there, and we all really enjoy it.

“So while I’ve been doing this for 21 years now, and am pretty comfortable with what we do, we still take it seriously. It’s been an incredible journey and I’m so proud The Wiggles is still going strong because we started off very humbly. We were together six years before we even got our own TV show in Australia.

“There’s nothing like being up there in front of a live audience,” concludes Greg. “The energy you get is amazing. So the travelling and being away is insignificant compared to being able to get on stage again with The Wiggles.”

* The Wiggles will perform at the New Theatre Oxford on Saturday. Tickets from £16. Call the box office on 0844 8713020