"one child. Harris had his spleen removed and chemotherapy after a cancer diagnosis in 2013. He subsequently returned to work. The cancer returned in 2014 and he died on 28 April 2015, at the age of 67 at Blackpool Victoria Hospital. Keith Harris (ventriloquist) Keith Shenton Harris (21 September 1947 – 28 April 2015) was an English ventriloquist, best known for his television show ""The Keith Harris Show"" (1982–90), audio recordings, and club appearances with his puppets Orville the Duck and Cuddles the Monkey. He had a UK Top 10 hit single in 1982 with ""Orville's Song"" which reached number"
"Ray Alan Ray Alan (18 September 1930 – 24 May 2010) was an English ventriloquist and television entertainer from the 1950s until the 1980s. He was associated primarily with the puppet ""Lord Charles"" and later also with the puppets ""Tich"" and ""Quackers"". Lord Charles was the first puppet to have his own personal microphone, which was first fitted by Sound professional Douglas Oakley whilst working with Lord Charles at Thames TV, and became a regular feature thereafter. Born in Greenwich, London, Alan was educated at Morden Terrace School, Lewisham. Alan was introduced to the world of entertainment at a young"
"Muffin the Mule Muffin the Mule is a puppet character in British television programmes for children. The puppet had been made in 1933 for Hogarth Puppets. The original TV programmes featuring the character were presented by Annette Mills, sister of John Mills, and broadcast live by the BBC from their studios at Alexandra Palace from 1946 to 1952. Mills and the puppet continued with programmes that were broadcast until 1955, when Mills died. The series then transferred to ITV in 1956 and 1957. A modern animated version of Muffin appeared on BBC2 in 2005. The original mule puppet was created"
"of ""The Weakest Link"" for the BBC. He was voted off in the second round by Roland Rat (who hilariously nicknamed him as ""Otis The Anteater""), Nobby The Sheep, Jelly and Jackson, Zippy and George and Soo (puppet), while he, Roly Mo and Nev the Bear voted off Zippy and George. In a 2009 interview BBC Presenter Kirsten O'Brien revealed that she has the Otis the Aardvark puppet and once used it unsuccessfully to impress a date. On 1 April 2010, Otis appeared on the ITV2 show ""Celebrity Juice"". Otis made another appearance along with other former presenters and puppets"
"in 2003, and a new 26-part animated version of ""Muffin The Mule"" was shown on BBC TV in September 2005. The new series was also translated into Welsh as ""Myffin y Mul"" and broadcast on S4C. Muffin the Mule Muffin the Mule is a puppet character in British television programmes for children. The puppet had been made in 1933 for Hogarth Puppets. The original TV programmes featuring the character were presented by Annette Mills, sister of John Mills, and broadcast live by the BBC from their studios at Alexandra Palace from 1946 to 1952. Mills and the puppet continued with"
"Dennis Spicer Dennis George Spicer (13 January 1935–16 November 1964) was a British ventriloquist who appeared on British television, and in variety in its twilight years. He was born at Hillingdon County Hospital in Middlesex but he grew up mainly in Coventry. He started ventriloquism at the age of eight and had his first booking aged ten. He worked the clubs and cabaret circuit with his dummies: mainly James Green and Maxwell Monkey, but also Sexy Rexy the Wolf, Puppy Doll the Poodle, Rikki Tikki the Tiger, the Ugly Duckling and Russian Bear. Eventually he began appearing on British television,"
"""TV Forum"" website in 1998, the puppet of Scally now resides at the Museum of the Moving Image in Birmingham, and is owned by someone who used to work on the BBC Saturday morning kids' show, Live & Kicking. Scally the Dog Scally the Dog was a puppet mongrel dog character, who co-presented the Children's ITV afternoon service from January 1989 - March 1991 in the United Kingdom. Children's ITV's bosses had noticed how successful puppet characters (such as Gordon the Gopher and Edd the Duck) had been on its rival, Children's BBC, so they decided to create their own"
"Archie Andrews (puppet) Archie Andrews was a ventriloquist's dummy used by ventriloquist Peter Brough in radio and television shows in the UK in the 1950s and 1960s. Perhaps the most popular show in its radio format was called ""Educating Archie"". Regularly attracting over 15 million listeners. Archie was invariably dressed in a broad-striped blazer, and addressed the ventriloquist as ""Brough"". The television scripts were written by Marty Feldman and Ronald Chesney. The radio show attracted up to 15 million listeners and had a children's fan club that at one time had 250,000 members. Among future stars who appeared on the"
"Gordon the Gopher Gordon the Gopher, also known as Gordon T. Gopher, is an English puppet gopher who first appeared on Children's BBC (CBBC) between 1985 and 1987, presenting television shows with Phillip Schofield on the interstitial or in-vision continuity programme ""The Broom Cupboard"". His main puppeteer was Paul Smith, who would later go on to a career as a BBC executive. In the early 2000s (decade), Schofield stated in interviews that since his television work of the 1980s/1990s, Gordon has had a tragic (fictitious) life. In an interview on Channel 4's ""Zippy and George's Puppet Legends"" (2005), he revealed"
"Monkey (character) ""This is about the advertising character. For the mythical Chinese character, see Sun Wukong."" Monkey (also known as The Monkey, ITV Digital Monkey or PG Tips Monkey, and often pronounced /'muŋkε/ in imitation of Johnny Vegas' Lancashire accent), is an animated puppet advertising character in the form of a knitted sock monkey. He was first produced by The Jim Henson Company via their UK Creature Shop, puppeteered by Nigel Plaskitt and Susan Beattie and voiced by comedian Ben Miller. Monkey has appeared in advertising campaigns in the United Kingdom for both the defunct television company ITV Digital and"
"Brush). Actor John Slater worked with them as a straight man for many years, enduring soakings from water pistols and similar pranks. Other human companions included Roger Moffat, Jimmy Thompson, Bryan Burdon and Fred Emney. Their show included other puppets such as ""the Beakles"", (an avian parody of the Beatles), Topo Gigio, a mouse puppet who appeared in many later episodes, as well as a female pig. Other puppets included Ambrose Cat, Basil Bloodhound, Bertie Bonkers the baby elephant, Conchita the Cow, Horace Hare and Vera Vixen. The puppets also appeared on TV in the United States on a number"
"Arthur Worsley Arthur Wilkinson Worsley (16 October 1920 – 14 July 2001) was a ventriloquist who appeared regularly on British television from the 1950s to the 1970s. His act with dummy Charlie Brown had Charlie do all the talking, while Worsley himself remained ""silent"". He was born at Failsworth, near Manchester, Lancashire. At the age of eight he saw a ventriloquist for the first time which gave him the ambition to become a ventriloquist himself. Worsley made his first stage appearance aged 11 at the Casino, Rusholme, Manchester, billed as the """"World's Youngest Ventriloquist"""". His London debut took place four"
"Rod Hull Rodney Stephen ""Rod"" Hull (13 August 1935 – 17 March 1999) was an English comedian, best known as a popular entertainer on British television in the 1970s and 1980s. He rarely appeared without Emu, a mute, highly aggressive arm-length puppet modelled on the Australian flightless emu bird. Hull was born in the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, England in 1935. He attended Delemark Road School and the County Technical School, Sheerness. After national service with the RAF, he qualified as an electrician. He married his first wife Sandra in 1958; they had two daughters, Deborah and Danielle. His first"
"Otis the Aardvark Otis the Aardvark was a puppet presenter on Children's BBC. Otis mainly presented the afternoon links on BBC One alongside the main CBBC presenters. Otis was thought to be inspired by the 1992 Children's BBC idents which ended with a voice proclaiming ""Tell that aardvark it's a wrap"". These idents led to much speculation as to what the phrase meant. However, these idents were dropped just before the character of Otis appeared in late 1994. Otis is said to have obtained his name from the OTIS Elevator in the CBBC building at BBC Television Centre. Dave Chapman"
"Edd the Duck Edd the Duck (originally Ed the Duck) is a puppet duck which appeared on the CBBC interstitial programme ""The Broom Cupboard"" alongside presenters Andy Crane and Andi Peters. His movements were performed by Christina Mackay-Robinson, an assistant producer employed by the BBC. He made his debut in late 1988, originally with a bald head until Mackay-Robinson added a green woollen mohawk, salvaged from an old Blue Peter 'Punk Teddy'. His co-star and enemy was Wilson the Butler, a character who was off screen apart from his arm visible to the viewers. Edd the Duck starred in a"
"to Disney World. When Lou asks Andy who he's looking forward to meeting, Andy replies ""Gordon the Gopher."" Gordon the Gopher Gordon the Gopher, also known as Gordon T. Gopher, is an English puppet gopher who first appeared on Children's BBC (CBBC) between 1985 and 1987, presenting television shows with Phillip Schofield on the interstitial or in-vision continuity programme ""The Broom Cupboard"". His main puppeteer was Paul Smith, who would later go on to a career as a BBC executive. In the early 2000s (decade), Schofield stated in interviews that since his television work of the 1980s/1990s, Gordon has had"
"Terry Hall (ventriloquist) Terence ""Terry"" Hall (20 November 1926 – 3 April 2007) was an English ventriloquist. He appeared regularly on television with his puppet, Lenny the Lion, whose catchphrase was ""Aw, don't embawass me!"" Hall is credited with having been one of the first ventriloquists to use a non-human puppet. Hall was born in Chadderton, Lancashire, where his parents ran a working men's club. He was educated at St Patrick's School in Oldham and at De La Salle College in Pendleton, Salford. Hall initially worked as a ventriloquist with a boy dummy, named Mickey Finn, and won a talent"
"Sticky Moments Sticky Moments was a British satirical television game show that was broadcast on Channel 4 in 1989 and 1990. It was hosted by the comedian Julian Clary. The series was devised and written by Clary with the fellow comedian and writer Paul Merton, and was produced by Clary's production company Wonderdog Productions (named after his beloved pet whippet, ""Fanny the Wonderdog"", who also regularly appeared on the show). Clary was accompanied by two co-hosts, his ""steadfastly heterosexual"" pianist, Russell Churney, who provided musical accompaniment and a foil for Clary's teasing, and announcer/scorekeeper/assistant ""Hugh Jelly"" (played by actor Philip"
"Scally the Dog Scally the Dog was a puppet mongrel dog character, who co-presented the Children's ITV afternoon service from January 1989 - March 1991 in the United Kingdom. Children's ITV's bosses had noticed how successful puppet characters (such as Gordon the Gopher and Edd the Duck) had been on its rival, Children's BBC, so they decided to create their own version, which was Scally the Dog. He was operated and voiced alternately by three different puppeteers, who were Richard Coombs, John Eccleston and Michael J. Bassett. Coombs was the original operator of Scally and also built the puppet of"
"Johnny Morris Ernest John Morris, OBE (20 June 1916 – 6 May 1999) was a British television presenter. He was known for his children's programmes for the BBC on the topic of zoology, most notably ""Animal Magic"" and for narrating the imported, Canadian-produced ""Tales of the Riverbank"" series of stories about Hammy the Hamster, Roderick the Rat, GP the Guinea Pig, and their assorted animal friends along a riverbank. Morris was born in Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales, the son of a postmaster. He learned to play the violin as a child and toured the valleys of South Wales, performing with his"
"was changed from a circus performer to that of a grey man who ate dinner with his wife in silence, occasionally saying ""nice peas, dear"", while at the same time nursing an unrequited crush on his colleague Virginia Bottomley – an invention, but an ironic one in view of his affair with Edwina Currie, which was not then a matter of public knowledge. By the end of his premiership his puppet would often be shown observing the latest fiasco and ineffectually murmuring ""oh dear"". The media (particularly ""The Guardian"" cartoonist Steve Bell) used the allegation by Alastair Campbell that he"
"the Cat and various other characters including a stud dog, drugged hamster and Laddie a suicidal sheepdog. Warrick Brownlow-Pike Warrick Brownlow-Pike (born 28 January 1985) is a British puppeteer. Warrick was half of the 'Ed and Oucho' presenter duo for CBBC. Ed Petrie and Oucho the talking Cactus presented live afternoon continuity for the CBBC Channel on weekdays, from 15:25 to 19:00 from on 3 September 2007 until January 2010. In April 2010 he returned to present CBBC continuity performing 'Dodge the Dog', Hacker the Dog's half brother. He is currently presenting live holiday mornings and live afternoons. Ed Petrie"
"out again until 1946, when Bussell and Hogarth were working with presenter Annette Mills. She named the puppet mule ""Muffin"", and it first appeared on television in an edition of ""For the Children"" broadcast on 20 October 1946. The character proved popular, and ran on BBC television until 1955. Typically, Muffin danced on top of a piano as Mills played it. Muffin the Mule was supported by a host of other puppets who were made by Stanley Maile. The characters included Crumpet the Clown, Grace the Giraffe, Hubert the Hippo, Katy the Kangaroo, Kirri the Kiwi, Louise the Lamb, Monty"
"Steve Nallon Steve Nallon (born 8 November 1960) is a British actor, writer, voice artist and impressionist. Nallon began his career as a stand-up performer on the northern club circuit in the 1970s. He is known for his work as a voice artist on the satirical puppet show ""Spitting Image"" and for impersonating Margaret Thatcher on television throughout her time as Prime Minister of the UK (1979–1990). In his career Steve Nallon has performed a number of roles and characters as an actor and as a voice artist in theatre, film, television and radio. Nallon grew up in a working-class"
"Sweep (puppet) Sweep is a British puppet and TV character popular in the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and other countries. Sweep is a grey glove puppet dog with long black ears who joined ""The Sooty Show"" in 1957, as a friend to fellow puppet Sooty. His general dim-witted behaviour and penchant for bones and sausages has made him an endearing, entertaining character that children still love to this day. Probably his most unusual characteristic is his method of communication. It consists of a loud high pitched squeak that gains its inflection from normal speech and its rhythm from"
"The Muppet Show The Muppet Show is a comedy television series created by Jim Henson and featuring the Muppets. After two pilot episodes produced in 1974 and 1975 failed to get the attention of network executives in the United States, Lew Grade approached Henson to produce the program in the United Kingdom for ATV. Five series of 120 episodes were broadcast on ATV and other ITV franchises in the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1981. The series was filmed at Elstree Studios, England. ""The Muppet Show"" is presented as a variety show, featuring recurring sketches and musical numbers intertwined with"
"puppet Muffin the Mule made his television debut on the show, accompanied by his ""friend"" Annette Mills. The puppet's character was devised by the puppeteer Ann Hogarth. ""For the Children"" was last broadcast in December 1952, when it was superseded by other BBC children's television programmes, including ""Watch with Mother"". For the Children For the Children was a British television programme targeted at children of school age. First broadcast on the BBC Television Service at 3 pm on Saturday 24 April 1937, for its first two years the series was ten minutes in length. Suspended in 1939 along with the"
"Bunsen, and Frank Welker provided Beaker's squeaky meeps. Beaker was performed by Kevin Clash in ""The Muppet Show Live"". An animated Beaker was also voiced by Richard Hunt, his usual performer during that period, when he appeared in the short lived ""Little Muppet Monsters"" series. Beaker's ""meep"" sound has become a well-known catchphrase, and is referenced in various media. In a 2004 Internet poll sponsored by the BBC and the British Association for the Advancement of Science, Beaker and Dr. Bunsen Honeydew were voted Britain's favourite cinematic scientists. They beat Mr. Spock, their closest rival, by a margin of two"
"Richard Coombs Richard Coombs is a puppeteer from England, who has worked extensively on many British television shows, feature films, commercials, and music videos. From 1987 to 1988, he worked on the ITV Saturday morning children's show, ""Get Fresh"", where he operated the puppet Gilbert the Alien, alongside fellow puppeteer John Eccleston, with the character's voice performed by Phil Cornwell. Coombs was one of the three puppeteers (again alongside Eccleston as well as Michael J. Bassett), who each alternately controlled and voiced the puppet character, Scally the Dog, who co-presented Children's ITV, from 1989–1991. From 1990-1992 he performed the character"
"on 9 September 2015 to mark the 30th anniversary of CBBC. Otis the Aardvark Otis the Aardvark was a puppet presenter on Children's BBC. Otis mainly presented the afternoon links on BBC One alongside the main CBBC presenters. Otis was thought to be inspired by the 1992 Children's BBC idents which ended with a voice proclaiming ""Tell that aardvark it's a wrap"". These idents led to much speculation as to what the phrase meant. However, these idents were dropped just before the character of Otis appeared in late 1994. Otis is said to have obtained his name from the OTIS"
"1999. After leaving CBBC in late 1999 Otis appeared on a puppet based quiz show before the puppet was finally laid to rest, with the announcement given claiming that the character had gone to work at the BBC canteen, although Otis made appearances on other CBBC shows including ""Insides Out"" and ""Live & Kicking"" and ""Clever Creatures"" until 2001. Otis was followed by another puppet called Emlyn the Gremlyn, who supported the live human presenters on the early afternoon links for a further two and a half years . On 28 December 2007, Otis reappeared on a special 'puppet' edition"
"Jerry Layne (ventriloquist) Jerry Layne (1938 - 2018) was the ventriloquist host of ""Puppet People"", a TV series produced from 1973 to 1975 at CFCF-TV in Montreal and telecast on most CTV television network stations. He worked with his ""friends"" Lester and Herbie, puppets created for the show. Layne grew up in Brooklyn, NY during a time when ventriloquist acts were popular entertainment in theaters and clubs. He became interested in ventriloquism as a child and by age 14 was a student of ventriloquist Paul Winchell. He went on to work in television production and eventually became a full-time ventriloquist"
"Awards), ""Bumbledown: The Life and Times of Ronald Reagan"" (a quasi-documentary about the President), and ""The Sound of Maggie"" (satirising Thatcher and parodying several musicals such as ""Oliver!"", ""West Side Story"" and many others). Many British politicians in parliament during Margaret Thatcher's tenure were parodied. By far the most prominent was Thatcher herself, portrayed as an abusive tyrant and cross-dresser (she wore suits, shaved, used the urinals, was portrayed as a cigar-chomper and addressed by her Cabinet as ""Sir""). The Thatcher puppet had a strong dislike of anything French (agreeing with Hitler about 'teaching those Frenchies where to go' and"