The performer of one of the BBC’s best-loved characters has shared some behind-the-scenes footage which has left nostalgic viewers’ childhoods ‘ruined’.
Phil Fletcher has been the man behind CBBC’s Hacker T Dog since 2009, both controlling and voicing the talkative terrier.
But a glimpse behind the curtain, or in this case the desk, was a little too much for some viewers.
One commented on the puppeteer’s TikTok: ‘My whole childhood is ruined.’
Another echoed that sentiment, saying that this was their ‘childhood over’.
Hacker T Dog made his on-screen debut on the comedy show Scoop in 2009
The clip shows Mr Fletcher lying under the presenting desk holding two sticks controlling the dog’s arms in one hand, and with his other arm inside the puppet to control the mouth
Mr Fletcher took over the job of controlling the dog after Hacker’s on-screen debut in the first series of the children’s comedy show Scoop.
With his new owner, Hacker enjoyed two more series of the show, but also literally found his voice as a host alongside Iain Stirling in the segments between programmes on the same channel.
While Stirling’s career has moved on to voicing over Love Island and hosting his own game show CelebAbility, his companion remains a staple on children’s TV to this day.
And it was a recent segment that was the subject of Mr Fletcher’s TikTok, posted on October 6.
The clip shows Mr Fletcher lying under the presenting desk holding two sticks controlling the dog’s arms in one hand, and with his other arm inside the puppet to control the mouth.
Below the desk, the puppeteer can see a screen of what viewers can see, allowing him the chance to grab a drink when the show cuts away for a brief skit.
With the character surviving for so many years now, many of the more than 1.5 million who have seen the clip had grown up with the pooch.
One person in that position said: ‘Finally, 24 yrs old and now I know how they did it.’
Someone else added: ‘This man made a generation.’
Multitasking: Mr Fletcher both voices and controls the movements of CBBC’s famous hound
Hacker became a more prominent figure on CBBC when he got a presenting gig with Iain Stirling (left)
