Veteran actor Bernard Cribbins dies aged 93-Louise Griffin-Entertainment – Metro

Bernard Cribbins has died at the age of 93 (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Veteran actor Bernard Cribbins has died aged 93.

Cribbins’ agent, Gavin Barker Associates, 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 90s, 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.’

Cribbins had a career spanning eight decades, with his first credited role being in 1956 in the TV series The Black Tulip.

He went on to appear in films including Make Mine A Million, Two Way Stretch, You Must Be Joking!, before appearing in his first Carry On film, Carry On Jack, in 1964.

Cribbins was an icon of TV and film (Picture: Joanne Davidson/REX/Shutterstock)

He was honoured with an OBE in 2011 (Picture: Chris Ison – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

He gained a whole new audience of fans when he starred alongside Catherine Tate in Doctor Who (Picture: BBC)

Cribbins became well known for his roles in the Carry On films, appearing in two more – Carry On Spying and Carry On Columbus.

In 1970, Cribbins took on one of his most iconic roles, Albert Perks in The Railway Children.

Just three years later, he became a staple of children’s TV, when he narrated The Wombles, and made no less than 100 appearances on the children’s favourite, Jackanory.

In 2011 he received an OBE for services to drama for his long career. Speaking at the investiture ceremony, he said providing the voices of characters such as Uncle Bulgaria, Tobermory and Orinoco was simple because of how The Wombles was written.

‘The structure of the writing was such that you knew exactly where everybody was socially in that household,’ he said.

Cribbins didn’t slow down in later life, earning a whole new audience of fans when he appeared in Doctor Who as Wilf, the grandfather of Catherine Tate’s character Donna Noble.

Voyage Of The Damned, which was broadcast on Christmas Day in 2007, saw 13.31 million people tune in to watch the then-Doctor, David Tennant, battle to save the crew of a luxury space liner called the Titanic.

Cribbins featured in the episode alongside special guests including Kylie Minogue, Geoffrey Palmer, Clive Swift and Russell Tovey.

Wilf was well-loved and returned alongside Donna in series four of the show.

Earlier this year, Cribbins was spotted on set filming in a wheelchair and it was thought he was due to return alongside Catherine and David Tennant in the sci-fi’s 60th anniversary.

Tributes have poured in for the late star, including from returning Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies.

‘Bernard Cribbins (1928-2022) I love this man. I love him,’ he wrote.

‘That’s him as Snout in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. D’you fancy doing some Shakespeare, Bernard? “Let me see the script.” He knew everyone! He’d talk about the Beatles and David Niven, and how he once sat on the stairs at a party impersonating bird calls with T H White. Then he’d add, ‘I said to Ashley Banjo last week…’

‘He loved being in Doctor Who. He said, ‘Children are calling me grandad in the street!’ His first day was on location with Kylie Minogue, but all eyes, even Kylie’s, were on Bernard. He’d turned up with a suitcase full of props, just in case, including a rubber chicken.

‘And what an actor. Oh, really though, what a wonderful actor. We once took him to the TV Choice Awards and sent him up on his own to collect the award, and the entire room stood up and cheered him. That’s a lovely memory. He’d phone up and say, ‘I’ve got an idea! What if I attack a Dalek with a paintball gun?!’ Okay, Bernard, in it went!

‘He loved Gill with all his heart; he mentioned her in every conversation we ever had. A love story for the ages. I’m so lucky to have known him. Thanks for everything, my old soldier. A legend has left the world.’

MORE : TV legend and Doctor Who star Bernard Cribbins’ ‘devoted’ wife Gillian dies

Entertainment – MetroRead More