Anthony Field Talks Health Battle, The Wiggles' Upcoming Tour: EXCLUSIVE

There isn't a children's entertainment group quite like The Wiggles. The group was created in 1991 by Anthony Field, who has been portraying Anthony the Blue Wiggle ever since. No doubt, Field has seen it all at this point — he is an influential part of the childhood's of an entire generation of children. And he's still going, with no signs of stopping! He is the last man standing in a way. The other three original members of The Wiggles, Greg Page, Murray Cook and Jeff Fatt all retired in 2012. They were replaced by Emma Watkins, Simon Pryce, and Lachlan "Lachy" Gillespie. Anthony Field remains the thread that holds the old Wiggles and new Wiggles together — with him at the helm, the group has never faltered. Moms.com was lucky to catch up with Field while he was in the United States visiting doctors to talk about his health battles, being the last OG Wiggle and their upcoming US tour.

One of the medical issues Anthony is currently fighting is viral meningitis. While he's not 100 percent sure how he contracted the disease, it's likely that he caught it from a fan at a show. And he was not diligent about things like washing his hands or using hand sanitizer.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, viral meningitis is the most common form of meningitis, which is an inflammation of the tissues covering the brain and spinal cord. It's less severe than bacterial meningitis, and often people can get better without treatment. Many of the symptoms are similar to a cold or flu, which makes it easy to not realize. Viral meningitis can affect people at any age, but children under five are especially at risk. This coupled with potential Lyme disease diagnosis is leaving Field to seek medical attention, but it will not likely effect his duty to The Wiggles.

"I don't like to call it work. It's a real positive job and I just love music so much. I'm blessed to be apart of it," Field tells us.

As they recently revealed on Instagram, The Wiggles are coming to the United States this summer on their Party Time tour. This is going to be one of their biggest North American tours to date — they're visiting 28 cities across the country, which is 16 more cities than their USA tour last summer! There is nothing quite like the experience of seeing The Wiggles live. It's just like watching one of their videos — the same level of energy, and all of the Wiggly crew is there: Captain Feathersword, Dorothy the Dinosaur, Henry the Octopus, and Wags the Dog too! And with the Party Time tour, we're getting to meet the newest Wiggle friend, Shirley Shawn the Unicorn!

"I'm so excited, the States are so much fun," Field says, adding that he loves the different accents and varieties of coffee available.

Seeing The Wiggles in concert is a truly enjoyable experience for both kids and their parents. Don't be surprised to see many of the audience members dressed as their favorite Wiggles. Emma is naturally the most popular, and not just with the girls! There are lots of yellow shirts and bows in the audience. Field asked if we would be dressing up for the show, to which we replied, "Of course!" It's not uncommon to see adults dressed up too.

For anyone who's ever seen The Wiggles live, they know there is a ton of energy that goes into it. There is always someone on stage engaging with the audience. And there is so much dancing and running around, it's no surprise that the group is in such good shape. But they have to be tired! We had to know how Field maintains that type of stamina, especially since he is significantly older than the other members of the group.

"I play a lot more of the music now, so I'm not dancing as much. Emma, Lachy and Simon are incredible. But you have to match the children's energy. And the children come to the shows and they're hyper!" he exclaims.

Speaking to the lasting power of The Wiggles, we touched on the fact that the group has managed to survive for over 25 years. At this point, many of the first generation of Wiggles fans are now all grown up and parents themselves.

"It's so beautiful to see. Some of the moms and dads bring their Dorothy the Dinosaur hats from 28 years ago," Field says. "It brings a smile to my face and I'm very proud that we're still going."

Field also mentions that their adult fans don't just include former fans who are now parents. Some of their fans with special needs, who have been fans since their childhoods are still big fans, and make a point to still support the group.

In addition to the upcoming tour, The Wiggles are also celebrating the release of their latest album and DVD, Wiggle Pop! While the group has always experimented with different musical styles, Wiggle Pop! is their first concentrated effort on showcasing the diversity of their musical interests. There are all different kinds of influences on the album, including country, folk, and American pop, especially Motown.

"It pays homage to pop music from the last 50 years," Field explains.

If you live in the United States and want to see The Wiggles live, tickets go on sale for the Party Time tour on Friday, April 26th! And Wiggle Pop! is available now wherever you get music and/or DVDs.