Ray Brooks, Beloved Voice Of Mr Benn, Dies Aged 86

You might not know his face, but you’ve definitely heard his voice if you grew up in the UK, his narration was basically the sound of your childhood. Mr Benn. A man in a bowler hat walking into a fancy-dress shop and stepping into magical worlds. And there was Ray, guiding us through it all, like a calm uncle who knew exactly how to tell a story.

The Voice That Raised a Generation, and the Actor Who Never Needed the Spotlight

He didn’t shout. He didn’t dazzle. He didn’t need to. Ray Brooks had presence. That quiet, reassuring voice that told us everything was going to be alright even if you were suddenly a knight, or a spaceman, or a cowboy for the day.

But he wasn’t just a voiceover guy. He was a proper actor. Cathy Come Home? That film wrecked people. It changed minds, laws, lives. And there he was, right in the middle of it gentle, raw, real. The kind of performance that doesn’t date.

Still, it’s the small stuff that sticks. How he seemed to pop up everywhere—Jackanory, EastEnders, radio dramas, even bloody adverts. You’d hear him and feel a bit more grounded, like “ah, yeah… that’s Ray.”

Ray Brooks: A Quiet Legend Who Let His Work and His Voice, Do the Talking

And the best part? He never milked it. Never chased the spotlight. Just did the work, raised his family, loved Brighton and Fulham FC, and let the legacy speak for itself.

He died aged 86, with his loved ones around him. Quiet, like he lived. But he mattered. So much more than people probably realised.

Ray Brooks is gone, and with him goes a piece of our childhood. That voice  calm, kind, full of wonder  was more than just narration. It was the magic. Whether it was Mr Benn taking us on quiet little adventures or a role that cut deep like in Cathy Come Home, Ray had a way of making you feel seen, safe, and understood. He never needed the spotlight. He just was. Steady, brilliant, unforgettable. A voice that raised generations, and a man who did it all with grace.

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