‘It’s been a whirlwind’: the Essex lawyer who quit her job and became voice of Netflix’s hit show Spike

The Guardian UK Friday 30 October 2026, 09:00 UTC By Esther Addley 1 min read

Key Points

Emily McGonagle was watching cartoons with her sons when she decided to embark on a career change. A decade on, she is a star of a globally popular children’s seriesEmily McGonagle was on maternity leave from her job as a lawyer, juggling the care of her new baby and her toddler son, when the daily diet of TV cartoons made her think about an unlikely career change. Watching Peppa Pig and Paw Patrol, her older son’s favourites, “it occurred to me: who does this job?”, says the 42-year-old...

Emily McGonagle was watching cartoons with her sons when she decided to embark on a career change. A decade on, she is a star of a globally popular children’s series

Emily McGonagle was on maternity leave from her job as a lawyer, juggling the care of her new baby and her toddler son, when the daily diet of TV cartoons made her think about an unlikely career change.

Watching Peppa Pig and Paw Patrol, her older son’s favourites, “it occurred to me: who does this job?”, says the 42-year-old from Essex. “How do you get into it? Even when I was watching TV commercials, I’d think: well, how do you do that?”

Essex (LOCATION) Netflix (ORG) Spike Emily McGonagle (PERSON) McGonagle (PERSON)

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‘It’s been a whirlwind’: the Essex lawyer who quit her job and became voice of Netflix’s hit show Spike

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