Late last year the puppeteer that gave Elmo his voice and laugh,Kevin Clash, retired from Sesame Street. Many fans of Elmo and the television show wondered what would be next for the little furry Muppet and whether Clash’s exit ultimately meant that Elmo would also leave the show. But we can also rest assured that Elmo will continue on. PBS CEO, Paula Kerger, has said that many different puppeteers are ready and fully capable of replacing Clash. She also hinted that the role of Elmo’s puppeteer may not be given to just one person; instead multiple people may fill that position. That scenario seems very idealistic for audience members.
Elmo is a huge part of the Sesame Street programming and having his character separated from the puppeteer behind him gives his the individuality that he needs. He is a just a 3 ½ year-old little monster and his fun personality should not be eclipsed by personal life of any of his puppeteers. Before the remarks for Kerger surrounding the continuation of Elmo on Sesame Street, Sesame Workshop already said that Elmo was more than one person and that the character would continue on., but they also said Clash’s personal life had become a distraction. Having multiple puppeteers will guarantee that Elmo will be more than one person. Whatever Sesame Street decides to do, whether having one or multiple puppeteers behind Elmo, we look for the watching Elmo on Sesame Street for many more years.