Disney has added Jordan North and Sian Welby to the UK voice cast of Toy Story 5, bringing two familiar radio and television names into the fifth instalment of the animated franchise one month before it reaches cinemas.
North will voice a character called Garden Gnome, while Welby takes on Inflatable Flamingo. The pair join Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie and the rest of the gang as they face a new challenge the film calls Toy meets Tech, with Lilypad, a brand-new tablet device voiced by Greta Lee, at the centre of the story.
Welby said the characters and world of Toy Story had formed an iconic part of many people’s childhoods, including hers, and called the chance to be part of the project a dream come true. North said being involved was a pinch-me moment and added that he grew up loving the films, making the role feel “pretty surreal and special”.
That kind of local casting is part of a familiar Disney playbook. Over the years, the company has used British celebrities in country-specific versions of its animated films, with names including Jeremy Clarkson, Lewis Hamilton and Anne-Marie appearing in UK versions of classic Pixar releases. Toy Story 5 is also being driven by a veteran creative team, with Andrew Stanton directing, co-writing the script with Kenna Harris and producing duties handled by Lindsey Collins.
The timing matters because Disney made the announcement with just one month to go before release, turning what could have been a routine casting update into a last stretch push for the film. The previous Toy Story movies are already available to stream on Disney+, but the new chapter is the one now carrying the weight of whether audiences will embrace toys built to compete with a world of screens. The answer arrives on June 19, 2026.
