ITV child star looks unrecognisable 23 years on from finding fame on Lazy Town

A former child star, who shot to fame 23 years ago on an iconic telly show, has left fans stunned with her transformation.

Now 33, Shelby Young was known for her role as Stephanie in the unaired Lazy Town pilot, a character recognised by many for her distinctive pink hairdo.

Taking to TikTok,Shelby, who also starred in Wild Child and American Horror Story, shared a snap of herself now sporting brown locks. She captioned the photo: “I don't have pink hair anymore, but there was a time…”

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This was followed by several snaps from her time on the show, adding in the caption: “(Jk it was a wig) some set pics from filming the pilot back in 2002!”

Although Shelby only portrayed the character once, she became a familiar face for many after Julianna Rose Mauriello took over the role for the first two seasons. Julianna was eventually replaced by actress Chloe Lang for the third and fourth seasons of the show, which aired from 2004 to 2007.

For those needing a refresher, the CBeebies and CBBC show follows Stephanie when she moves to the aptly named Lazy Town to live with her uncle, Mayor Meanswell.

Upon arrival, she's shocked to discover that its residents lead very lazy lifestyles and embarks on a mission to encourage them to be more active and healthy.

Fans were quick to reminisce in the comments section of the now-viral TikTok. One wrote: “Thank you for my childhood”. Another said: “When I tell you I was obsessed with Lazy Town, I literally had a lazy town umbrella and used to watch it all the time.”

A third said: “I was SO jealous of you when I was a kid.” Meanwhile another added: “Lazy Town I miss you.”

Chloe Lang, who also starred in the popular children's show Lazy Town, previously opened up about her time on the series and her fond memories of filming in Iceland.

Speaking to The Express in 2023, she said: "I keep in touch with so many people. We were like a family. I try and go back to Iceland every summer because of everyone I want to see but also because it's so beautiful - I can never get enough of it."

She also had high praise for the show's creator Magnus Scheving, saying: "He really was very inspiring. Lazy Town was his baby.

"It was his creation and he was very particular and passionate about how he wanted things to be executed.

“Being around that every day - the energy he put behind all of his ideas; all the costumes, all the set, the designs, the props - everything was just out of this world."