Ray Brooks, the British actor best known for narrating the children's cartoon Mr Benn and appearing in EastEnders, has died at the age of 86. He passed away peacefully on Saturday with his family by his side after a short illness, his family confirmed in a statement to the BBC. The statement also revealed that Brooks had been living with dementia in recent years.
Brooks' sons, Will and Tom, paid tribute, saying: 'His three true loves were family (he also had a daughter Emma, who died in 2003), Fulham Football Club, and spending time in Brighton, where he was born.'
Brooks narrated the 1970s cartoon Mr Benn, which follows a man who visits a magical costume shop and embarks on adventures based on his outfits. Despite only 13 episodes being made, the show became a classic, repeated twice a year for over 21 years. Brooks later recalled being asked to narrate other cartoons, including Rupert the Bear, which he described as 'the worst thing I've ever done.'
His television career included roles in EastEnders as Joe Macer, who killed his wife Pauline Fowler, and Coronation Street as Norman Phillips. He also starred in the BBC comedy drama Big Deal and appeared in films such as The Knack … And How To Get It, which won the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 1965, and Ken Loach's Cathy Come Home, ranked the second-best British TV programme ever in a 2000 BFI poll.
