The actor behind the Teletubbies’ Tinky Winky character froze to death, according to family members and police. Simon Shelton Barnes, 52, collapsed on a Liverpool street and died of hypothermia. He was found dead at 7:30 a.m. the following morning. Merseyside Police confirmed details surrounding his death, and stated that there was “no suspicious circumstances” found on the scene. Barnes played Tinky Winky from 1998 to 2001, and said he felt like a “member of The Beatles” during his time on the Teletubbies program.
