Blind Date voiceover legend Graham Skidmore has died at the age of 90.
The star, who was the original voice on the program presented by Cilla Black on ITV, died on December 27, with the news just released.
Skidmore was never personally seen on the show, but was lovingly christened ‘Our Graham’ and was immediately recognizable by his voice.
He was also known for his voiceover with Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer on Vic & Bob’s Shooting Stars, from 1993 to 2002.
Skidmore, a father of three, was diagnosed with vascular cancer 10 years before his death and lived his last years in Kent.
Skidmore’s family paid tribute, with his son Neil telling The Sun: ‘He may not have wanted to be seen on screen, but he had a celebrity voice – a familiar voice.
“I loved it. I organize events and had a show in London and got Dad to do the voice-over. People recognized him immediately. ‘
Skidmore’s daughter Catherine added: ‘He was a wonderful man. He cared for people and made sure that other people were taken care of.
“He was very modest. He was not a theatrical “look at me” person. He never really wanted his face to be seen, that’s why he liked doing the voice overs. ‘
Blind Date originally ran from 1985 to 2003.
The program returned to Channel 5 in 2017, with Melanie Sykes providing the tone of voice.
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