# Former Essex lawyer voices eight characters in Netflix’s hit children’s series Spike

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/its-been-a-whirlwind-the-essex-lawyer-who-quit-her-job-and-became-voice-of-netflixs-hit-show-spike/
- Published: 2026-10-30T09:00:50+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-30T09:32:36+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/oct/30/essex-woman-voice-netflix-spike-emily-mcgonagle
- Topics: Art, Celebrity, Culture, Entertainment, TV

## Key points

- Former Essex lawyer Emily McGonagle became a voice actor.
- She voices eight characters in Netflix’s Spike.
- The series reached seventh place globally after its launch.

## Summary

Emily McGonagle, a former lawyer from Essex, changed careers after wondering how people got into voice acting while watching cartoons with her children. A decade later, she voices eight characters in Spike, an animated children’s series that became Netflix’s seventh most-watched programme worldwide after joining the platform on 12 October.

McGonagle built a soundproof vocal booth in a wardrobe at home and began with corporate videos and adverts, then trained in voice acting for animation. She found the Spike project through a LinkedIn advert from its Lithuanian animation company; the series had first gained popularity on YouTube. To distinguish her characters, she develops a backstory for each and adjusts her voice, accent and physical delivery.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.