Harry Sparks, 13, makes voice debut as Thomas the Tank Engine in YouTube reboot
Thirteen-year-old Harry Sparks voices Thomas the Tank Engine in a new animated series, with Henry Golding as narrator.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Thirteen-year-old Harry Sparks has made his professional voice acting debut as the new voice of Thomas the Tank Engine, after keeping the role secret for nine months. The schoolboy from Harpenden in Hertfordshire recorded weekly sessions for the latest reboot of the children's classic, telling classmates he was attending physiotherapy for a foot injury.
The new series, which launched on YouTube with a special episode today, brings Thomas back 80 years after the character first appeared. The railway engine was dreamed up by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry to entertain his poorly son, and first reached audiences through books before a BBC television series began in 1984.
That original TV run was narrated by Sir Ringo Starr, and later versions featured Pierce Brosnan among others. The latest reboot is narrated by Crazy Rich Asians actor Henry Golding, who said he was 'in the shadow of giants' but praised Starr as 'an absolute legend'.
Harry, who voices Thomas in the new series, said it felt 'insane' to be part of a character with such a big history. 'I get to be part of that history and I get to be part of something which kids from the next generation will get to grow up to watch,' he said.
His biggest challenge was keeping the secret at school. 'Whenever I was going to a recording session, which was really hard because I'm terrible at keeping secrets,' he said. His friends are expected to be shocked when they hear his voice on television.
The series will air on Channel 5's Milkshake programme next month, with the full series arriving next year. Thomas remains hugely popular, with global retail sales of more than £750 million a year and attractions such as Thomasland in Staffordshire. The new episodes are built around a moral message as Thomas learns the ways of the world with his trusty friends.
On screen
Stills are sampled automatically at 60-second intervals. Where shown, the still is the nearest available frame from the relevant broadcast segment and is included to show what was on screen during that part of the broadcast. A still may not correspond to the exact second of a quoted phrase.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC One | ITV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Actor Henry Golding is the narrator of the new Thomas series. | |||
| Harry Sparks, a 13-year-old, is the new voice of Thomas the Tank Engine. | |||
| Harry concealed his recording sessions by claiming he was attending physiotherapy. | · | ||
| The new Thomas series, titled 'Really Helpful Engines', is released on YouTube. | · | ||
| The show was originally made famous by Sir Ringo Starr. | · | ||
| Harry Sparks is a 13-year-old from Harpenden in Hertfordshire. | · | · | |
| Thomas generates over £750 million in global retail sales every year. | · | · | |
| Thomas the Tank Engine was created 80 years ago by a vicar in Birmingham. | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
A brief final item that focuses on the novelty of a 13-year-old's debut and the secret kept from classmates. It notes the historical link to Ringo Starr and ends with a warm 'Well done to him.'
- “I'm the most useful engine on Sodor. I can be a helper even though I'm small.”
- “Harry Sparks from Harpenden in Hertfordshire stars in Thomas and Friends' railway stories in a show first made famous by Sir Ringo Starr.”
- “He says he kept his weekly recording sessions secret though from his classmates for nine months by telling them he was attending physiotherapy for a foot injury.”
Places the news in historical context, tracing Thomas from the vicar's bedtime stories through Ringo Starr's narration to the new YouTube revival. It also includes fan reactions from Thomasland, emphasising the character's enduring appeal and moral lessons.
- “From the imagination of a vicar in Birmingham trying to entertain his poorly son, Thomas the Tank Engine travelled not just around his fictional home, the island of Sodor, but around the world.”
- “The new voice of the cheeky little engine is 13-year-old Harry Sparks.”
- “I mean, Ringo Starr, what a champ, huh? I think he did it for multiple years, so he's still got a couple up on me. But, of course, an absolute legend.”
A more detailed feature focusing on Harry's personal reaction and the challenge of secrecy, while also noting the commercial scale of the franchise and the new narrator. It includes a clip of Harry's recording and the anticipation of his school friends' surprise.
- “It feels amazing because I played him like watch Thomas as a kid and now I'm like get to be Thomas It just feels insane”
- “I think it's just amazing because it has such a big history to it Like it's he's 18 now and now I get to be part of that history and I get to be part of something Which kids from the next generation will get to grow up to watch”
- “But for Harry the biggest challenge wasn't working with famous actors it was keeping quiet at school”
A feature package that concentrates on Harry's audition story, his secret, and his reaction. It includes the fact that he told classmates he was going to physiotherapy, the surprise when he found out he got the role, and the legacy of previous narrators, with Henry Golding as the latest.
- “It's crazy imagining myself watching myself on TV, hearing my own voice. Yeah, I think it's just mental.”
- “I was pretending that I was going to physiotherapy for my feet whenever I was going to a recording session, which was really hard because I'm terrible at keeping secrets.”
- “Big wheels to fill then for Crazy Rich Asians actor Henry Golding, who narrates the latest reboot.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.