Bernard Cribbins has died aged 93. The actor, comedian and singer is perhaps best known in recent years for his recurring role in Doctor Who alongside David Tennant and Catherine Tate, but has been a regular on our screens since his TV debut. in the 1956 version of David Copperfield.
Cribbins, who was born in Oldham, appeared in numerous films, including Carry on Jack and Carry on Columbus, and Alfred Hitchcock’s Frenzy. He first entered the Doctor Who universe in the film Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 AD opposite Peter Cushing in 1964, before returning for the 2007 revival of the series as a different character, Wilfred Mott .
Cribbins is also remembered by a generation of children as the narrator of The Wombles, from 1973 to 1975, although the series was repeated endlessly for decades afterwards, meaning his legacy far outlived its short run . His sweet tones meant he was a perfect fit for the BBC short story show Jackanory, on which he appeared more times than any other reader, 114, between 1966 and 1991. He also appeared in 11 episodes of Coronation Street in 2003 as Wally Bannister.
Cribbins had two top 10 hits in 1962, with Hole In The Ground and Right Said Fred, the former of which was chosen by Noël Coward as one of his Desert Island records, much to Cribbins’ delight. “I never met the gentleman,” he told the Guardian in 2014. “But one time I was in a traffic jam in Parliament Square, and a limousine pulled up alongside and he was sitting in the back seat, and he wanted to get out and come out. say it’s me, it’s Hole in the Ground.”
Sally Thomsett and Jenny Agutter with Bernard Cribbins in the 1970 film version of The Railway Children. Photograph: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Cribbins performed on stage throughout his career, beginning in the West End in 1956 at the Arts Theater in A Comedy of Errors, leading roles in Guys and Dolls at the National Theater and numerous pantomime performances.
Cribbins was awarded the OBE in 2011 for services to drama.