Beloved actor and children’s TV star Bernard Cribbins has passed away at the age of 93, it was revealed today – just months after his beloved wife of nearly 70 years passed away.
The death of the British star, who was in Doctor Who, The Wombles, told Jackanory and was in the film adaptation of The Railway Children, has devastated fans.
Mr Cribbins, the son of the Oldham cotton weaver who until recently worked for children’s television and was due to appear in the new series Doctor Who next year, recently wrote his long life and career on ‘good luck and genes’. When he turned 90, he said, “It’s just a number” and said he wouldn’t retire.
But last October, he was devastated when his wife Gillian, whom he married in 1955, died. They lived in Surrey and had no children, having suffered the heartbreak of a series of miscarriages.
Bernard said his work for children’s television and movies, especially The Railway Children, gave him “a warm feeling at the thought of everyone who saw it as a child,” and helped him cope with the grief of not being able to their own .
In later life, he beat prostate cancer and survived triple bypass surgery in 1997. He also suffered a spinal cord injury that left him unable to walk long distances. This is why his beloved CBeebies series Old Jack’s Boat was filmed sitting down.
A statement from Gavin Barker Associates said: ‘Beloved actor Bernard Cribbins OBE has passed away aged 93.
His career spanned seven decades with such diverse work ranging from films like The Railway Children and the Carry On series, 1960s hit Right Said Fred, an infamous guest on Fawlty Towers and narrating The Wombles.
He worked well into his 90s and recently appeared in Doctor Who and the CBeebies series Old Jack’s Boat. He lost his 66-year-old wife, Gill, last year. Bernard’s contribution to British entertainment is indisputable. He was unique, typical of the best of his generation, and will be greatly missed by all who have had the pleasure of knowing and working with him.”
Bernard Cribbins, pictured with wife Gillian, who passed away last year, has died aged 93
Mr Cribbins, pictured in 2018, worked into his 90s and attributed his long life to ‘good luck and genes’
Mr Cribbins in the beloved film adaptation of the Railway Children. He and his wife were unable to have children, but he said his work on this film and other hits helped him cope with the grief
Born in Oldham, Cribbins was revered for his versatility and became a favorite with young audiences across the country as the narrator of The Wombles, as well as for over 100 performances at the children’s favourite, Jackanory.
After many years on stage, Cribbins made his film debut in 1957’s Davy, before working alongside some of the biggest names of British cinema in films such as Two-Way Stretch, She, Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 AD , the 1967 version of Casino Royale and Frenzy.
He also starred in several Carry On movies and had roles in TV favorites Coronation Street and the revamped Doctor Who.
Off-screen Cribbins enjoyed a successful musical career and had a number of hits, including 1962 comedy numbers Hole In The Ground and Right Said Fred, both of which reached the top 10 of the UK Singles Chart.
Arguably one of the roles he is most famous for was that of station porter Albert Perks in The Railway Children, released in 1970.
The film adaptation of E Nesbit’s book tells the adventures of three children who were forced to move from London to Yorkshire after their father was jailed for being falsely accused of selling state secrets.
The film also starred a young Jenny Agutter and was famous for the tear-jerking moment at the film’s climax when Agutter’s character yells “Daddy, my daddy” as they are reunited on a train platform. Cribbins played the station doorman Albert Perks.
In 2011, he received an OBE for services to drama for his long career. At the inauguration ceremony, he said giving the voices to characters like Uncle Bulgaria, Tobermory and Orinoco was easy because of the way The Wombles was written.
“The structure of the writing was such that you knew exactly where everyone was social in that household,” he said.
He then appeared regularly on the TV series Doctor Who as Wilfred Mott, the grandfather of Donna Noble, the Doctor’s companion, played by Catherine Tate.
Voyage Of The Damned, which aired on Christmas Day in 2007, attracted 13.31 million people to watch then-doctor David Tennant struggle to save the crew of a luxury starship called the Titanic.
Cribbins featured in the episode along with special guests including Kylie Minogue, Geoffrey Palmer, Clive Swift and Russell Tovey.
He also had the lead role on the CBeebies show Old Jack’s Boat and narrated the Tufty Fluffytale series of public education films about road safety in the 1960s.
More recently, reports said that Cribbins had been spotted along with Tate and Tennant while filming Doctor Who’s 60th birthday.