2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Ray Brooks dead: Coronation Street and EastEnders actor who voiced Mr Benn dies
Ray Brooks has died at the age of 86, his family has confirmed. The actor, who is one of the few actors to appear in both Coronation Street and EastEnders, died on Saturday after a short illness, his family told the BBC.
He was also the famous voice of Mr Benn, narrating the classic 1970s children's show. The actor's sons Will and Tom shared a touching statement to confirm his death.
They said that while their father thought he was best known for his role on Mr Benn, people would be "continually asking him to say the catchphrase 'as if by magic!'".
In the cartoon, a character named Mr Benn would find himself entering a new adventure each episode as he dressed up in a magical costume shop. In the statement to the BBC, his family added: "Although only 13 episodes were made, they were repeated twice a year for 21 years."
In the soap world, Ray joined the Corrie cobbles in the 1960s, taking up the role as Norman Philips in the long-running ITV soap. Almost 40 years later, he switched allegiances, joining BBC's EastEnders as Joe Macer.
His character will be best remembered for murdering his wife Pauline Fowler. but throughout his long career in showbiz, Ray also had a large resume to look back on.
After being the male lead in the ground-breaking 1960s BBC drama Cathy Come Home, he later starred in 1980s hit Big Deal. He played the part of Robbie Box and the series before later appearing in Running Wild as the comic lead Max Wild.
