Who is Blippi?

Who is Blippi? If you’re under five or have a child who is, you already know the answer.

If you’re not, you may wonder what all the hubbub’s about. But the answer to the question is not as straightforward as you might assume.

Who is Blippi? Stevin John was the First One

Blippi is a character from a hugely popular YouTube channel that’s now on Netflix. You can also stream it on Peacock, Amazon, and Hulu. He’s a man-child with a very high falsetto voice that educates children through clever experiences.

He’s the brainchild of Stevin John, an Air Force veteran from rural Ellensburg, Washington. He wanted to be a fighter pilot when he joined at 18. And he did wind up working with planes. He served in the 4th Nuclear Airlift Squadron.

He was a loadmaster for the C-17 Globemaster. That’s the job of making sure what the plane’s hauling inside is balanced evenly. After deciding not to re-enlist, John headed back to Washington.

Blippi and Meekah

There, he spent time with family, including his two-year-old nephew, Hunter. He noticed Hunter watching low-quality YouTube videos aimed at kids. So, he decided to try making better kid videos and a viral video sensation was born.

Before settling on the name Blippi, Stevin John made a list of 800 simple names that he thought toddlers could pronounce. Next, with the help of his mom, he came up with the costume. He chose jeans, a blue shirt and an orange bow tie, suspenders, and glasses.

Stevin’s mom, Nancy John, sewed his hat and bowtie. The first video went live on January 27, 2014. He starred in the videos and also wrote, edited, and did all the graphics. A few years later, he had a billion YouTube views and a team helping him.

He makes roughly $11 million a year online and the Netflix and other streaming deals likely bring in more. According to Forbes, Stevin John’s net worth is now over $75 million.

Clayton Grimm Stars in Live Tour & Some Episodes

While Stevin John was the creator and first star as Blippi, there’s another actor that also plays the role. For the Blippi Live tour in 2019, stage performer Clayton Grimm was hired.

The producers of the show insist to angry parents that the tour announcement was clear it wouldn’t be Stevin John on tour. But Clayton didn’t just star in the stage show. He also began appearing in YouTube content on the channel.

Who is Blippi

Some upset parents accused them of pulling a swap like when they changed Steve’s on Blue’s Clues. Some parents were so upset at the subbing in a new Blippi that they nicknamed the new guy “Flippi”.

But unlike the Blue’s Clues deal where the first actor was gone for good, the original stuck around. Now, both Stevin and Clayton play the role interchangeably. They use the same high-pitched voice and outfit and resemble pretty closely.

Who is Animated Blippi?

Who is Blippi is increasingly hard to answer these days. There’s the original YouTube channel that posts videos constantly. Plus, there are television episodes on Hulu, Amazon, and Netflix. Those episodes interchange Clayton Grimm and Stevin John.

Then, on Netflix, there’s a new animated version of the show — Blippi Wonders. According to the show’s credits, Stevin John is the voice of the animated version of the character he created.

Blippi Wonders

On the YouTube show, he takes kids on adventures to look at things of interest like museums, monster trucks, or indoor play places while teaching them facts, colors, numbers, and more.

The animated version has a Magic School Bus vibe where he and sidekicks D.Bo, Tabbs, and Fetch. And the regular series has added a female live-action addition called Meekah.

According to Bloomberg news, the studio behind Blippi (Moonbug Entertainment) was sold to two former Walt Disney executives for $3 billion.

So, now you know who is Blippi — it’s both Stevin John and Clayton Grimm.