# @pinknews on Instagram

- **Type:** Video
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DWjExKzkquY
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/62112288-pinknews-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/6ad9f3dd32.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-03-31T12:00:56.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** PinkNews (@pinknews) — https://gondola.cc/pinknews

## Caption

On this day in 1997, Teletubbies premiered!

Tinky Winky has often seen his sexuality and identity become the topic of intense debate – and the handbag-wielding, tutu-loving Teletubby’s appearance on Masterchef is likely to reignite speculation.

The famous purple… well, we’re not quite sure what he is, appeared alongside other TV titans including Basil Brush and Hacker T Dog on Puppet Masterchef for BBC’s Children in Need 2023 on Friday 17 November.

Of course, Tinky Winky’s sexuality shouldn’t matter to anyone: since Teletubbies debuted in 1997, he’s happily been minding his business in Teletubbyland while cultivating gay icon status for his uninhibited gender non-conforming antics, alongside co-stars Dipsy, LaLa and Po.

Despite teaching children the power of being yourself, Tinky Winky has previously come under fire from the Christian right for his fierce fashion sense. So what’s the story so far?

Since the Teletubbies sashayed onto screens in March 1997, Tinky-Winky’s identity has been dissected by fans and critics alike.

Consider the evidence offered by the evangelical preacher Jerry Falwell: “He is purple: the gay pride colour, and his antenna is shaped like a triangle: the gay-pride symbol.”

Falwell neglected to mention Tinky Winky’s signature red handbag, presumably because he was busy fuming over his belief that “role modelling the gay lifestyle is damaging to the moral lives of children”.

The closest we had come to a definitive answer on Tinky Winky’s identity came from the actor who played him, Simon Barnes.

“People always ask me if Tinky Winky is gay,” Barnes said. “But the character is supposed to be a three-year-old so the question is really quite silly.”

But what do you think of Tinky-Winky? Is he a gay icon? 

#tinkywinky #teletubby #teletubbies  #lgbtq #lgbtnews

## Stats

- **Views:** 13,586
- **Likes:** 3,461
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## Tags

teletubbies, tinkywinky, lgbtq, teletubby, lgbtnews

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