Elmo and Abby Cadabby (Sesame Street)

To celebrate the 45th anniversary of Sesame Street, beloved characters Elmo and Abby Cadabby are in France at the moment. I’ve grown up with the show and suffice to say I was a tad excited to get to meet both the characters and puppeteers behind them. Admittedly, it was one of the more uncomfortable interviews I’ve done in my career as I wasn’t exactly sure to look and address my questions to the puppets or the puppeteers. Regardless, everyone’s favourite three and a half year-old monster and fairy-in-training did dish up on their favourite movies:

Elmo Cadabby: Elmo likes Alice In Wonderland, the movie. And The Wizard Of Oz.
Abby Cadabby: Yeah, but The Wizard Of Oz can also be scary for kids sometimes. We watched Nanny McPhee on the plane coming over here.
Elmo Cadabby: Yes, that was good.

Okay, okay, I know what you’re asking and no, Elmo said he has never had the urge to branch out on his own, without the tall black dude. In other news, some random 16-month-old child waddled into the interview and totally stole my bonding time with the Sesame Street favourites. But relax everyone, instead of demanding security drag the little gatecrasher out, all is good in the world because Abby noticed we have the same colour hair – purple.

Abby Cadabby: Abby likes Maria’s hair, did you do it yourself?
Tom Andersen: (Laughs) Thank you, I love purple.
Abby Cadabby: Me too. Look, we have the same hair! Magical, fairy hair! And you have a purple watch too ooooh.
Tom Andersen: Ah yes, it has unicorns on it (looks guilty). Purple really is my favourite colour.
Abby Cadabby: You know what a fairy’s favourite colour is? Shiny.

Fine. You caught me. Yes, Tom Andersen loves unicorns, yes Tom Andersen wears a purple unicorn watch, yes Tom Andersen is really a 6-year-old in a 21-year-old’s body and yes, Tom Andersen has spent too much time around Sesame Street characters and now refers to herself in third person.