Bernard Cribbins

Born in Oldham, Lancashire, England, on December 29, 1928, Bernard Cribbins was a comedian and actor who had a long career film and television but is also known for his humorous songs including the hit single “Right Said Fred.” At the age of 13, he began his career by leaving school to work in a theater club, where he also performed small roles in some of the productions. He then began an apprenticeship at the Oldham Repertory Theatre. He began his military service in 1947 and was stationed in Aldershot, Hampshire, and Mandatory Palestine. After being discharged, Bernard Cribbin made his West End debut in London, England in 1956 playing the two Dromios in Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors, followed by other productions. He caught the attention of record producer George Martin, who had him record novelty/satire songs for the Parlophone label. In 1962, he released three singles that landed on the UK singles chart: “The Hole in the Ground” (Number 9), “Right Said Fred” (Number 10) and “Gossip Calypso” (Number 25). He also released his debut album, A Combination of Cribbins, in 1962. While he continued to release singles sporadically in the 1960s, he focused on his career in film, appearing in films such as Two-Way Stretch (1960), The Railway Children (1970) and Alfred Hitchcock’s Frenzy (1972). Bernard Cribbins is also remembered for appearing in three of the Carry On films from 1963, 1964 and 1992. He also became a popular narrator/storyteller for the BBC, taking on voice-over duties for the series Jackanory (1966-1991) and The Wombles (1973-1975). His narrating skills led to him releasing several children’s albums including The Wizard of Oz (1970), The Snowman (1987), and several volumes of Paddington Bear stories and Wombles adventures. One of his best remembered TV appearances is on one episode of Dr. Who in 1966. Bernard Cribbins was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2011 and published his autobiography – Bernard Who? 75 Years of Doing Just About Anything - in 2018. On July 27, 2022, Bernard Cribbins died at the age of 93.