Brian Cant, the beloved presenter of children's television programmes Play School and Play Away, has died at the age of 83. His agent confirmed that he had been living with Parkinson's disease and passed away at Denville Hall, a retirement home for those in the entertainment industry.
In a family statement, Cant's relatives said: 'It is with great sadness that we, his family, have to announce that Brian Cant has died aged 83 at Denville Hall. He lived courageously with Parkinson's disease for a long time. Brian was best known and well loved for his children's programmes Play School and Play Away and was honoured by Bafta in 2010.'
Born in Ipswich in 1933, Cant began his television career making programmes for schools before being hired as a Play School presenter in 1964, which proved to be his big break. He remained with the show for more than 20 years and also became part of the Play Away team, the spin-off aimed at older children.
Cant's distinctive voice was also familiar to viewers of the animated series Trumpton, Camberwick Green and Chigley, where he narrated the tales of Windy Miller, Chippy Minton and PC McGarry. He famously voiced the Trumpton fire brigade roll call of 'Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble and Grub'.
In addition to his children's television work, Cant appeared in adult programmes such as Doctor Who and Casualty, and performed on stage in productions including The Railway Children and The Canterbury Tales. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1999.
Cant once said he was surprised that so many fans remembered him as a legend of children's television. 'It's obviously very kind and very rewarding to have that effect, but I can't believe it was that important to everyone,' he remarked. He is survived by his wife, writer and director Cherry Britton, and their three children.
