Charli Delaney quits Hi-5 for Adam Gilchrist

AFTER a decade entertaining pint-sized fans - and their dads - around the world, Hi-5 hottie Charli Delaney is quitting. And you can blame cricket star Adam Gilchrist. Source: The Daily Telegraph

And devastated admirers, big and small, have Adam Gilchrist to blame.

Although she had been thinking about leaving the group for a couple of years, it wasn't until Delaney heard the cricket legend announce his retirement last month that she decided the time was right.

"Gilchrist retired on the same day as my last show in Perth and I'm a cricket tragic," Delaney, 27, said.

"I woke up to his speeches and it put me in a reflective mood.

"I thought: 'Thanks Gilly' . . . it was a typical Aussie girl thing to do."

It's now a case of Hi-2 when it comes to original members, with Nathan Foley and Kellie Hoggart the only ones left.

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Kathleen de Leon Jones was replaced by Sun Park last year when she left to have a baby, while Tim Harding was replaced by Stevie Nicholson after he was injured in a motorcycle accident.

Originally from Anna Bay, near Newcastle, Delaney now lives on the North Shore with her husband of five years.

Delaney has completed 10 series of the Hi-5 TV show, toured the world six times, recorded 11 albums and made 27 DVDs and videos.

But with a funky new "adult" haircut, Delaney yesterday said she wanted to prove herself as an actress for an adult audience. She is considering enrolling in some courses at NIDA to hone her acting skills.

"I kind of need to de-Hi-5 myself," she said. "I have been this character for the past 10 years."

While she wouldn't turn down another TV presenting gig, she said she would like to work in film or television and would consider moving to Hollywood down the track.

"I'm fortunate that my husband has said he'll pick up and follow me wherever I want to go," she said.

"It's been ten truly wonderful years.

"At 18 to be swept into the whirlwind that Hi-5 became... it's been not only a wonderful experience but an educational one.

"But I got to the point where I realised it wasn't challenging enough for me anymore.

"I'm so proud to have stayed through the last few years, it's been a transitional period with new cast members and working with Stevie and Sun has been fabulous."

Delaney won't be leaving the group high and dry - she will help Hi-5 creator and executive producer Helena Harris find a replacement.

She said they were looking for a "girl next-door with an added sparkle". "Maybe one day in a few years I'll be taking my kids to see the show," she said.

"I'm going to miss walking along the street and having children walk up and hug me."