The Simpsons fans have been left devastated after learning the voice actor for a popular character is leaving the show after 35 years.

One of the most comforting things about the long-running cartoon is that none of the characters ever age, and very few main characters die in episodes – which makes the cartoon feel like a pretty comforting and familiar watch for fans.

However, today is certainly the end of an era, as the voice behind one of the show’s most recognisable characters is stepping down.

Known for voicing the characters of Milhouse Van Houten as well as Rod Flanders and school bully Jimbo Jones, voice actress Pamela Hayden has been a part of The Simpsons since the very beginning. However, the 70-year-old has now confirmed that she is stepping away from the show in order to retire.

Confirming the news via social media, the official Simpsons Instagram account posted a montage to Hayden, featuring some of her most famous Milhouse moments.

“Thank you for 35 years of Milhouse and so many more, Pamela Hayden,” the caption added, alongside confirmation that her final episode will be the upcoming Treehouse of Horror Presents: Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes airing on Sunday, 24 November.

“The time has come for me to hang up my microphone, but how do I say goodbye to The Simpsons?……not easily,” Hayden said of her departure in a statement.

Pamela Hayden has confirmed that she is retiring from The Simpsons (Instagram/thesimpsons)

“It’s been an honour and a joy to have worked on such a funny, witty, and groundbreaking show, and to give voice to Milhouse and Jimbo Jones, Rod Flanders, Janey, Malibu Stacy, and many others.” she added.

“I’ll always have a special place in my heart for that blue-haired 10-year-old boy with glasses.”

Fans were of course devastated by the news, with one fan writing: “Whoa a retirement? Thanks Pamela for your years of commitment to the role,” while a second added: “Everything is no longer coming up Milhouse.”

Meanwhile, others were understandably concerned about the future of Bart’s best friend, with several wondering if the character would be recasted.

“Is this the untimely end of Milhouse,” one concerned fan commented, while another wrote: “Does this mean no more Milhouse?!”

Things are no longer coming up Milhouse (Instagram/pamelaahayden)

“Pamela’s talent and joy and love for her characters has added a magic to The Simpsons that will never be forgotten. Everything’s coming up Pamela,” showrunner and executive producer Matt Selman said in a statement, while creator Matt Groening added: “Pamela gave us tons of laughs with Milhouse, the hapless kid with the biggest nose in Springfield.

“She made Milhouse hilarious and real, and we will miss her.”

Casting for actors replacement actors is scheduled to take place in the near future, according to reports from Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter.

That’s right, it’s happened again.

The Simpsons, the long-running American sitcom that is known for its sometimes crude humour and distinctive yellow characters, is also famous for weirdly predicting the future.

It may sound bizarre, but they have done it on multiple occasions.

From predicting Donald Trump becoming President of the United States, the COVID pandemic, radioactive fish, or even the wildly specific Willy Wonka event that went wrong in Glasgow earlier this year, the show is not shy from spooky predictions.

It can be scary and unbelievable how many of these come true, and former showrunner, writer and original crew member Al Jean echoed these thoughts.

In an interview with NME, Jean reiterated that it’s nothing more than luck and longevity that contributes to The Simpsons’ uncanny future predictions.

He said: “If you write 700 episodes, and you don’t predict anything, then you’re pretty bad. If you throw enough darts, you’re going to get some bullseyes,” though he admitted some of the events predicted were ‘crazy’.

“The 9/11 one is so bizarre, in the World Trade Center episode, there was a brochure reading $9 a day with an 11 styled up like the towers. That was in ’96, which was crazy, like this insane coincidence.”

“But mostly it’s just educated guesses,” he insisted.

It looks like another prediction has come true in the last week though, and it’s a weird one this time.

Fox

The episode in question aired in May 1996, called ‘Homerpalooza’, where Homer tries to become a carnival freak at a music festival to impress kids Bart and Lisa.

It also featured hip-hop group Cypress Hill, who are best known for songs such as ‘Insane in the Brain’ and ‘Tequila Sunrise’ and consist of members B-Real, Eric Bobo and Sen Dog.

In the scene, a roadie walks backstage with a group of men, all in tuxedos and holding classical instruments, and yells: “Hello bands, who is playing with the London Symphony Orchestra?

“Come on people somebody ordered a London Symphony Orchestra…possibly while high,” he said.

“Cypress Hill, I’m looking in your direction,” he suggested, before the group discussed is someone did call them while under the influence.

Well, 28 years later, it looks like that collaboration might be happening for real.

PA

An unlikely combination that may not have been in the question if not for the TV show, the group and orchestra have joined forces for a performance at the Royal Albert Hall on 10 January 2025.

Cypress Hill announced: “We are thrilled to be performing with the London Symphony Orchestra in such a prestigious venue as the Royal Albert Hall. It’s a dream come true, a collaboration only The Simpsons could have predicted.”

Kathryn McDowell, the LSO’s managing director, stated: “After years of social media teasing it, many fans may have started to believe it would only be a pipedream.

“Many thanks to the creators of The Simpsons for the idea.”

Who would’ve thought, eh? I wonder what weird prediction is next.

When one of your favourite TV characters is killed off, it can be pretty devastating.

Just ask any Grey’s Anatomy fan, who’s dealt with a whopping 15 of them over the years.

Now, The Simpsons producer Tim Long has apologised after the death of a longtime character left fans reeling.

The iconic animated series has been on our screens for 35 years, building up a diehard fanbase who follow every move of Springfield’s eclectic residents.

In the show’s most recent episode, producers pulled the plug on a character who’s been there since the very start.

During ‘Cremains the Day’, Larry the Barfly, aka Larry Dalrymple, who is often seen in the background at Moe’s Tavern, drops dead at the bar.

Following the sad event, Homer, Moe, Lenny and Carl attend Larry’s funeral, but realise that they know almost nothing about their ‘friend.’

Homer asks if they were ‘terrible people’ for putting themselves in this position.

Disney

After Larry’s mother, Iris, pays an emotional tribute to her late son, the group, who Iris describes as Larry’s ‘best friends,’ unconvincingly tell a vague fishing story at the funeral.

They then go to sprinkle his ashes at his ‘special place’, Serenity Falls.

Simpsons fans were caught off guard by Larry’s death and took to X (formerly Twitter) to share their thoughts.

One user wrote a day before the episode aired: “Just learned they are killing off Larry on The Simpsons tomorrow. I need a minute.”

Another pointed out: “Really enjoyed last night’s Simpsons episode. But I couldn’t stop wondering why there was no mention of Larry’s best friend, Sam.”

And a third said: “Holy s**t Larry from the Simpsons died, rest in peace my drunken king.”

Disney

Following the outpouring of love for the character, co-executive producer Tim Long has apologised for Larry’s death.

He told TMZ that he’s sorry to fans upset about the death, and the sad episode in general, but says he likes that fans seemed to take it hard because it speaks to how beloved the show still is.

Long also revealed that the creative team meant for Larry’s death to hit viewers as hard as it did, even though he never had a big moment on the show.

He says it doesn’t matter how small Larry’s role was, because characters on The Simpsons don’t die often. So it’s a massive deal when they do.

Rest in peace Larry the Barfly.

The Simpsons has been on our screens for more than three decades now – but it’s still finding ways to surprise us.

From predicting the cost of living crisis in the UK to having Donald Trump as a US president, or even the Covid pandemic, The Simpsons writers quite clearly know something we don’t.

In 2023 alone, eagle-eyed viewers spotted that they – more or less – anticipated the ill-fated Titanic sub imploding, the launch of the new Barbie movie and the rebranding of Twitter.

However, it appears that even the biggest of The Simpsons fans – including myself – weren’t aware of the subtle joke at the beginning of every episode.

I must say I feel pretty ashamed to have never noticed.

The recurring joke has been hiding in plain sight in the opening credits and we’re not talking about the couch gag.

Before the family of five take their seats, the opening title ‘The Simpsons’ appears on the screen in the clouds.

Now, according to a book by producer Mike Reiss titled ‘Springfield Confidential’, the joke is missed by ‘millions’ of people.

Disney

“Since season one, January 1990, each Simpsons episode begins with a joke that is missed by tens of millions of fans in hundreds of millions of viewings,” he explained.

“When the title card emerges from the clouds, you see the first half of the family’s name, ‘The Simps’, before the rest of the word.

“Well, ‘Simps’ is short for simpletons – stupid people – like the ones you’re about to see in the show. If you never caught this, don’t feel bad; most of our current staff didn’t know it either.”

I’m definitely feeling like the simp at the moment.

Nevertheless, the writers are clearly a talented group and you might be interested to know all of the eerie predictions they have made for 2024.

Here are a few of the big ones:

Disney

Baby Translator – Episode 24, Series 3

In this classic The Simpsons episode, we witness Homer’s brother Herb Powell for second time after his life gets ruined thanks to Homer.

To rectify Homer taking away his business, Herb invents the baby translator – which is exactly what it sounds like.

A company called Zoundream claims to have developed a product that somehow uses AI to determine what babies want when they cry.

Virtual Reality Food – Episode 17, Series 11

Although this sounds pretty impossible, Virtual Reality companies, such as AeroBanquets RMX, allow users to explore what it would feel like to dine in the digital world.

In this The Simpsons episode, Homer and Marge are eating virtual fudge through a straw placed on the back of their virtual reality headsets.

AI Robots Takeover – Episode 17, Series 23

In this episode, Homer loses his job after boss Mr Burns replaces all employees at the nuclear power plant with robots.

With the way robots are already working in factories and the advancements of AI, will they continue to take jobs in 2024?