Wiggles star Greg Page reveals surprise comeback after near-fatal heart attack forced him to retire from the stage

Greg Page has revealed his brand new role in show business.  

The former star of the Wiggles, who hung up his Yellow Wiggle skivvy back in 2013, is back on the stage. 

The 53-year-old is starring in the new musical production of Annie at the Capitol Theatre, Sydney. 

He will play President Roosevelt as the performance plays in both Sydney and Melbourne.  

Greg says that while he was performed all over the world, tackling a theatre role is very different to being part of a group for children. 

‘This is very scripted… with the Wiggles we had flexibility and we could improvise,’ he told the Canberra Times. 

Greg Page (left) has revealed his brand new role in show business. The former star of the Wiggles, who hung up his Yellow Wiggle skivvy back in 2013, is back on the stage

The 53-year-old is starring in the new musical production of Annie at the Capitol Theatre, Sydney (pictured) 

Fortunately, he’s got a stellar cast by his side reminding him to tone down the finger guns.

‘It’s one thing to take a man out of the Wiggles but you can’t take the Wiggles out of the man,’ Page said.

He added:  ‘I’ve performed in many theatres, many times in different countries. This is a very different experience.’ 

Last year, Page revealed he suffered crippling loneliness during his time with the iconic kids group.

He told the Herald Sun that prior to initially leaving the group in 2006 he could only relate to his bandmates on a superficial level for fear of being judged.

Greg added that he did not blame his bandmates, but rather himself for not having confidence to bear his soul.

‘I probably, in a way, helped create my own lonely environment by not dealing with the issues I had,’ Greg told the publication.

He said that a health condition that causes orthostatic intolerance, which induces fatigue and a loss of balance, was a catalyst for his loneliness. 

He will play President Roosevelt as the performance plays in both Sydney and Melbourne 

Greg says that while he was performed all over the world, tackling a theatre role is very different to being part of a group for children. ‘This is very scripted… with the Wiggles we had flexibility and we could improvise,’ he said

‘I kept the feelings to myself,’ he said, but suspected people around him knew he had ‘stuff going on’.

‘But it’s how you deal with that and how you cope with it that can be the trigger for becoming lonely.’ 

Greg had been experiencing health difficulties since December 2005, when he underwent a double hernia operation. 

He was forced to withdraw from the group’s 2006 US tour after suffering repeated fainting spells, slurred speech, fatigue, and trembling.

After bring diagnosed with a non-life-threatening form of dysautonomia – a hard-to-diagnose chronic illness – Greg decided to step away from the beloved musical act.

In doing so he made way for newcomer Sam Moran.

After making a return to the Wiggles in 2012, replacing Sam, Greg suffered a near-fatal heart attack while on stage with the group, for a one-off reunion concert at Castle Hill RSL in 2020.

A young off-duty nurse in the audience found a defibrillator in the RSL and desperately worked to resuscitate Page while waiting for an ambulance. 

Greg Page,52, told the Herald Sun that, prior to initially leaving The Wiggles  in 2006, he could only relate to his bandmates on a superficial level for fear of being judged.

After making a return to the Wiggles in 2012, replacing Sam, Greg suffered a near-fatal heart attack while on stage with the group at Castle Hill RSL in 2020

Greg told The Weekend Australian at the time that he remembers three things: breathing heavily, lying on the ground and waking up in hospital.

‘And looking up at the ceiling and just feeling unwell, but not in a bad way. I just felt absolutely exhausted,’ he added.

Greg went on to express his gratitude to those who helped save his life. 

‘The fact that those people stepped up to have a go at saving a life, I am so grateful. Had they not stepped in, I would be dead,’ he said.

In his first interview since the attack on radio station 2GB, Greg said he had no warning signs. 

‘I went happily on my way, Wiggle-d my butt off that night, and nearly didn’t make it,’ he recounted of the concert.

Despite his heart attack, Greg said he still considers himself to be ‘fitter’ than he’s ever been, and said he was carrying more weight when he left The Wiggles in 2013.

‘I felt really good. No warning signs, no symptoms, so when the show was coming up, I thought, “Yeah, okay, I’ll just walk a little bit harder this morning, go a little bit faster”‘ he said.