What's the story in Balamory? It's the age old question that kids and adults having been asking for years - and now it's time to find out what really did happen. The much-loved CBeebies show, which was basically a soap opera for toddlers, is celebrating its 20th birthday this week and all episodes are returning to BBC iPlayer.
Airing between 2002 and 2005, the popular series focused on the lives of eight characters on a very colourful fictional Scottish island. At it's peak, Balamory attracted two million viewers a week in the UK as well as millions around the world - with the Pope once rumoured to be a fan.
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Balamory was actually filmed in Tobermory on the Isle of Mull, which led to a massive increase in tourism, but it wasn't always welcomed by the locals.
Hordes of excitable children would descend on the peaceful village across the ferry - with the owner of the hotel that stood in for Josie Jump's yellow house revealing he would have 30 visitors an hour.
Juliet Cadzow, who played bus driver Edie McCredie, recently told the BBC about a time she encountered "Balamory mania" when she stayed on the island during filming.
"There was one time in a hotel in Tobermory when it felt like we were rock stars," she said. "I couldn't get out the door of my bedroom because the corridors were mobbed with people trying to get my autograph. It was just extraordinary."
There were even a number of famous faces who cropped up in Balamory, including broadcaster Terry Wogan, celeb chef Keith Floyd and former EastEnders star John Altman, who played 'nasty' Nick Cotton.
After a whopping 250 episodes, Balamory came to an end, but many members of the cast have gone on to have very successful careers in showbiz.
Miss Hoolie - Julie Wilson Nimmo
Millions of kids grew up being greeted each morning by smiling teacher Miss Hoolie, who always wore green and was the narrator for every episode.
Actress Julie Wilson Nimmo admitted she became so well-known she couldn't even take her two children to the local park without being mobbed by fans.
When Balamory came to an end, Julie starred in a couple of radio shows and played DC Megan Squire in BBC Scotland comedy show Scot Squad.
Julie is married to Still Game star Greg Hemphill, who plays main character Victor McDade, and she appeared in an episode alongside her husband in 2018.
During lockdown, Greg directed her in a 10-minute monologue during a special performance for the National Theatre of Scotland.
The actress recently told the Glasgow Times that she took one of Miss Hollie's cardigans as a souvenir from the set, which she admitted might get her in trouble.
Speaking about being recognised in public, she said: "It wasn't so much that they'd spot me, it was when I shouted on my own kids that they'd recognise my voice.
"It was fine. Not so great when I was yelling at them in IKEA, right enough, but fine."
She recently got a reminder of what the show still means to families around the world.
Julie explained: "I got a message from the uncle of a lovely boy in Ireland who has cerebral palsy and autism.
"He asked me to do a wee video message for him, which I did, and his reaction went viral on Tik Tok. It was amazing, just knowing that the show still means so much to people. We were really lucky to be a part of it."
Edie McCredie - Juliet Cadzow
Bus driver Edie McCredie managed to get all the kids to nursery school on time, despite a number of mishaps.
The mechanic, who had travelled across the world, also helped to fix any broken down vehicles in her blue garage and went to work by sliding down a fireman's pole.
Actress Juliet Cadzow went on to appear in Still Game, Doctor Who and Skins, as well as BBC thriller series Clique in 2018.
Juliet, who has also appeared in Casualty and Coronation Street over the years, is currently starring as Susie Fraser in Scottish soap River City.
"I was absolutely astonished when I was rung up and told it was 20 years of Balamory. I don't know where the time has gone," she told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme.
"I think it was the first pre-school soap, it combined drama, documentary and fun activities for pre-school children. There was a lot of humour and good characters."
The actress still get recognised for her iconic Balamory role all these years later.
"It is extraordinary. Even now, young 20-year-olds come up to me in restaurants and say 'oh you were Edie McCredie. I just loved Balamory when I was young'. I was mobbed on a regular basis," she added.
"I think it's enduring I think it's one that will just keep rolling and of course the audience changes all the time."
Spencer the Painter - Rodd Christensen
As well as painting extravagant pictures, Spencer had the job of decorating all the colourful houses in Balamory.
His famous ladder had musical steps, with each run making a different sound - and he was the only American resident.
Rodd Christensen, who was born in Las Vegas before moving to Scotland, was the only non-British actor in the show's cast.
With acting work drying up after Balamory, he became a bus driver with Stagecoach, revealing: "Kids still recognise me."
The married father-of-two moved back to America - with his daughter hitting the headlines back in 2011.
His daughter Raylin Joy got into the adult entertainment industry, doing nude modelling before starting a career in porn as alter ego Skin Diamond.
In 2017, Raylin revealed she had ditched the X-rated films and launched a career as a pop star.
She said: "I’ve given so much of my sexuality to the public for such a long time. Now it’s time to show them something else."
"I realised I was so focused on work all the time that I was living this Skin Diamond persona 24/7 and losing sight of who I was as a person."
Raylin said that she felt "shyer" about releasing music than filming porn because it is "taking a piece of my soul" and "putting it out there to be judged."
"It’s an interesting transition. As an empowered woman, I think it’s important to take charge of your sexuality. I found the adult industry very empowering," she added.
Archie the Inventor - Miles Jupp
Wacky Archie lived in a massive pink castle and wore a fetching pink and purple kilt.
The inventor was known for making incredible inventions from random household objects such as boxes, yoghurt pots and plastic bottles.
Comedian Miles Jupp played the colourful character, which caused some problems with his stand-up career.
Parents started bringing their kids to his comedy shows, assuming it was child-friendly, which meant he was forced to cut rude gags from his Edinburgh Festival performance.
"I went on stage and there were 10 children in the front row. Nightmare," he told The Guardian.
"The show was only 40 minutes long and I had to keep cutting huge chunks of filth."
Miles has gone on to have a very successful career, appearing in a very brief role as a weatherman in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
The actor also had movie roles in Sherlock Holmes, Johnny English Reborn and The Legend of Tarzan.
As well as the big screen, Miles has also been on a wide range of TV shows, including BBC series The Thick of It, Outnumbered and Netflix's The Crown.
Miles has also appeared on Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow and took over from Sandi Toksvig on BBC Radio 4's The News Quiz in 2012.
Miles is currently living in Monmouthshire, Wales, after moving there with his wife and five children.
Suzie Sweet - Mary Riggans
Suzie Sweet ran the village shop with Penny Pocket - and the loving shop owner was always seen waving a feather duster in her hand.
Take the High Road actress Mary Riggans was a famous actress before she set foot in Balamory, playing Effie Maciness in the Scottish soap.
She won a Sony award for her performance as Jean Armour in the radio play Till A' the Seas Run Dry in 1993 - and starred in Taggart and Still Game.
Sadly, Mary suffered a stroke in 2012 and passed away in December 2013 at the age of 78 while holding her daughter's hand.
The then BBC Scotland executive Yvonne Jennings, who worked as a producer on Balamory, paid tribute to the actress.
"As Suzie Sweet in Balamory, Mary was well respected by those who worked with her and much loved by the CBeebies audience," said Jennings.
"Like Suzie, Mary was a kind and giving woman who took on the role of nurturing young talent. She was an extremely professional actress with impeccable comedy timing. She'll be sadly missed by many."
Julie Wilson Nimmo, who played Miss Hoolie, added: "Shocked and saddened to hear about Mary's passing. We worked together for years, she was a brilliant actress and will be remembered fondly by the Balamory family."
Penny Pocket - Kim Tserkezie
Penny Pocket ran the village shop and cafe with Suzie Sweet - and was particularly good at maths.
Geordie actress Kim Tserkezie was diagnosed with a progressive neuromuscular disorder spinal muscular atrophy as a child and used a wheelchair for most of her life.
Kim was named as as one of the 100 most influential disabled people in the UK (Shaw Trust Power 100) in 2019.
In March 2020, she scooped two Royal Television Awards for her leading role in short film Obsession.
And this year, Kim presented and produced radio documentary series 'Hidden Sport' for the BBC World Service.
PC Plum - Andrew Agnew
PC Plum was the Balamory police officer - but had little to do as the village was completely crime free.
The aspiring detective spent his days cycling around using his detective skills to watch wildlife and make sure everyone was following the rules and regulations.
When Balamory came to an end, actor Andrew Agnew became a director for children's TV programmes.
The pantomime veteran, who has appeared in Sleeping Beauty, Peter Pan, Aladdin and Cinderella, also had his own CBeebies live theatre show.
On This Morning this week, the actor sat on the sofa wearing his famous policemna's hat.
He said: "The structure of the show is why it was so popular I think, because we as characters always got there slightly after the kids, the idea is that the kids always worked out what happened before we did.
"So if there was a crime that I had to solve, or a problem or a mystery, they knew that I would do it."
When asked about a possible comeback, hesaid: "There isn't [any plans for a return] but it would be lovely."
Josie Jump - Buki Akib/Kasia Haddad
Fitness instructor Josie Jump taught kids at the primary school next to Miss Hoolie's nursery - and her favourite colour was yellow.
The fitness fanatic coached a range of sports, from gymnastics to dance, and got children exercising in their living rooms.
The role was originally played by Buki Akib, who had to leave as her filming commitments clashed with pursuing an arts degree at university.
Buki left the acting game to become a stylist and fashion designer, so was replaced by Kasia Haddad in series 3, which led to some confusion for younger viewers.
Some children could not understand why Josie looked different and parents demanded to know what had happened to the original Josie.
After Balamory came to an end, Kasia went on to play Wendy in Doctors.
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