Jackanory and 'Doctor Who' star Bernard Cribbins dies at 93

Bernard Cribbins, who is English singer, actor and comedian, has died. He was 93. Cribbins was born in Oldham and has appeared in numerous films. His career spanned eight decades and had hits like Fawlty Towers and Right Said Fred. He was well-known for his role alongside Catherine Tate and David Tennant in 'Doctor Who'. He made his debut in David Copperfield in 1956 and has been a regular face on screens.

Cribbins' filmography includes Jack and Carry and Frenzy. Cribbins entered the 'Doctor Who' franchise with Daleks' Invasion of Earth 2150 A.D. in 1964, alongside Peter Cushing. He returned in 2007 as a different character called Wilfred Mott. People also remember him as the narrator of the Wombles (1973-1975). The series was repeated endlessly, and its short run was outlived by its legacy.

For the role of Jackanory, he had dulcet tones and had a perfect voice to be a storyteller. He also starred in Coronation Street 13 times as Wally Bannister in 2003.


He gave a couple of top-10 hits in his younger days in 1962. One was 'Hole in the Ground', and the other was Right Said Fred. Noël Coward picked Hole in the Ground as a part of his Desert Island Discs. Cribbins started acting on stage in West End in 1956 and acted throughout his career on stage. He acted in A Comedy of Errors at the Arts Theatre and starred in Pantomine and National Theatre. The latter of which included Guys and Dolls.

Cribbins was awarded in 2011 with OBE for his contribution to drama. Russel T Davies worked with him on Doctor Who and paid tribute on Instagram. He said that he loved the man and that Cribbins loved being on Doctor Who. He added that Cribbins' first day on location was with Kylie Minogue, but everyone's eyes were on Cribbins.