Actor Bernard Cribbins dies aged 93

Veteran British actor Bernard Cribbins has died at the age of 93, his agent has announced.

Gavin Barker Associates, who represented Cribbins, said in a statement:

“Beloved actor Bernard Cribbins OBE has passed away at the age of 93. His career spanned seven decades with such diverse work ranging from films like The Railway Children and the Carry On series, hit 60’s song Right Said Fred, a notorious guest on Fawlty Towers and narrating The Wombles.

“He worked well into his 90’s, recently appearing in Doctor Who and the CBeebies series Old Jack’s Boat. He lost his wife of 66 years, Gill, last year.

“Bernard’s contribution to British entertainment is without question. He was unique, typifying the best of his generation, and will be greatly missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing and working with him.”

Carry On Spying (1964)

Wogan in Pantoland (1988)

Dangerous Davies [The Last Detective] TV Film (1981)

Born in Oldham in 1928, Cribbins’ career as an entertainer spanned 70 years, including two series of his own show Cribbins, Comedy Playhouse, Jackanory, Call My Bluff, The Good Old Days, and Star Turn.

He was also famously the voice behind the legendary Wombles of Wimbledon Common.

After making his film debut in 1957’s Davy, he went on to work with some of British cinema’s biggest names in pictures such as Two-Way Stretch, She, and Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 AD.

Other film credits include Casino Royale (1967), The Railway Children (1970), and The Water Babies (1978).

Cribbins also worked extensively on stage from one end of the country to the other.

He became a favourite amongst young audiences as the narrator of The Wombles, as well as for more than 100 appearances on Jackanory.

Coronation Street (2003)

Doctor Who (2009)

Old Jack’s Boat (2013)

Cribbons also starred in several Carry On movies and had roles in TV favourites Coronation Street and Doctor Who.

His Doctor Who character, Wilfred Mott, the grandfather of 10th Doctor companion Donna Noble (Catherine Tate), notably became a companion in his own right for David Tennant’s last adventure as the Doctor in The End of Time.

In 2009, he made a number of appearances on CBeebies’ Bedtime Stories. He returned to the channel in 2013 in the role of Old Jack – a retired fisherman and multi-coloured boat owner with a penchant for storytelling – in the series Old Jack’s Boat.

Cribbins was also a successful musician and had a number of hit records, including Hole In The Ground and Right Said Fred, which reached number 10 on the UK singles chart.