Biography

Noted for his distinguished voice which has narrated many television adverts and films for over three decades, as well as the smash hit single, "Two Tribes", by Frankie Goes to Hollywood. He provided the voiceovers for the British Government's "Protect and Survive" series of information films in the mid-1970s. These were produced to inform the public on how to prepare for nuclear war.

Frankie Goes to Hollywood sampled Patrick Allen's Emergency Broadcast in case of Nuclear War (for the song Two Tribes) with these chilling lines: "If any member of your family should die whilst in the shelter, put them outside, but remember to tag them first for identification purposes," and especially morbid and chilling is, "Mine is the last voice that you will ever hear".

The son of a tobacco farmer, he was evacuated to Canada due to the Second World War and remained there to complete his education. Initially studied medicine at McGill University. Broadcasting work with university radio led to a regular job with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and, subsequently, acting in small parts in Hollywood. Returned to the UK in the late 1950s, joining the Shakespeare Memorial Company in Stratford-upon-Avon. Busy, square-jawed character actor of stalwart types, frequently military men, on British television, on the BBC radio series "Inspector West" (1967-71) and occasional films.

He dubbed the voice of Guido Mannari in the English-language version of Caligula (1979).

For 14 years he was the compère of Advent in Knightsbridge, a carol concert in West London.