Doctor Who, Wombles and Jackanory actor Bernard Cribbins dies at 93

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British television, movie and recording actor Bernard Cribbins OBE died on 28 July at age 93, his agent has confirmed.

Born Bernard Joseph Cribbins in Oldham in 1928, Cribbins left school at 13 and found work as an assistant stage manager at a local theatre club, taking on small acting roles before serving an apprenticeship at the Oldham Repertory Theatre.

In 2018, he published an autobiography looking back on his seven decades in show business, Bernard Who? 75 Years Of Doing Absolutely Everything.

Among his many acting roles, Cribbins narrated children’s programme The Wombles in the 1970s. He has also read stories for Jackanory from 1966 to 1991.

He starred in The Railway Children with Sally Thomsett, Gary Warren and Jenny Agutter, for which he earned a BAFTA nomination.

Cribbins is contemporarily best known for playing the role of Donna Noble’s grandfather Wilfred Mott on Doctor Who.

He was spotted filming Doctor Who for the 60th anniversary of the programme in Camden on 16 May.

Past and current Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies shared a touching tribute to him in Instagram.

Cribbins also played Tom Campbell in the 1966 Doctor Who film Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. in which Peter Cushing played Dr. Who.

Tributes poured in on social media.

Doctor Who fans will be treated to one last performance by Bernard Cribbins as Wilf as part of the Doctor Who 60th anniversary celebrations in 2023. Fans are excitedly anticipating three Doctor Who specials starring David Tennant and Catherine Tate as part of the celebration.