Tributes paid after Dr Who star Cribbins dies aged 93
- Publication: Belfast Telegraph
- Date: 2002-07-29
- Author: Tina Campbell
- Page: 15
- Language: English
Actor also narrated The Wombles
DOCTOR Who showrunner Russell T Davies has paid an emotional tribute to his late friend and actor Bernard Cribbins, who has died at the age of 93.
The veteran British actor appeared in projects such The Wombles, The Railway Children and Fawlty Towers over the course of his seven-decade career. He also appeared in the cult sci-fi show during Davies' tenure alongside David Tennant and Catherine Tate.
The beloved children's TV star and entertainer played Wilfred Mott the grandfather of the Doctor's companion Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) between 2007 and 2010 and is due to appear in a 2023 episode celebrating the programme's 60th anniversary.
They were recently reunited on set when Cribbins returned to film for the upcoming anniversary episode.
Taking to Instagram, Davies recalled Cribbins' first day of filming and the unique energy that he brought to set.
"He loved being in Doctor Who. He said, 'Children are calling me grandad in the street!' His first day was on location with Kylie Minogue, but all eyes, even Kylie's, were on Bernard.
He'd turned up with a suitcase full of props, just in case, including a rubber chicken. And what an actor. Oh, really though, what a wonderful actor.
"We once took him to the TV Choice Awards and sent him up on his own to collect the award, and the entire room stood up and cheered him. That's a lovely memory."
He also revealed how one of the late star's most memorable Doctor Who moments had been Cribbins' own idea.
He explained: "He'd phone up and say, 'I've got an idea! What if I attack a Dalek with a paintball gun!' Okay, Bernard, in it went!"
The It's A Sin writer also paid tribute to Cribbins' beloved wife Gill who he was married to for 66 years until she died last year.
"He loved Gill with all his heart; he mentioned her in every conversation we ever had. A love story for the ages' he penned.
Meanwhile, the son of the writer who created The Wombles has praised Cribbins for the way in which he brought the famous characters to life.
Cribbins narrated the original Wombles TV series, and provided the voices of characters such as wise old Great Uncle Bulgaria, inventor Tobermory and sleep-loving Orinoco, for the beloved creatures who were the brainchild of Elisabeth Beres-ord.
Beresford published her first Wombles story in 1968, with the original stop-motion series, which ran between 1973-1975, commissioned after the stories were read on Jackanory.
Marcus Robertson, Beresford's son, said: "He was always great fun and an amazing bloke, but obviously The Wombles was the thing that from our point of view... The Wombles were all based on members of the family.
"And Bernard was extraordinary, because Mum sort of explained to him what the characters were like in real life, as it were. So for instance, Orinoco was based on me, which was the fattest, laziest and greediest of them, I was only 13 or 14 when she first wrote them, not even that probably.
"But I'm not thinking about myself so much as my grandfather, because the character Great Uncle Bulgaria, he was based on my paternal grandfather.
"When I watch The Wombles even now it is as if my grandfather is still alive'
Caption: Respected Bernard Cribbins with his OBE
Disclaimer: These citations are created on-the-fly using primitive parsing techniques. You should double-check all citations. Send feedback to whovian@cuttingsarchive.org
- APA 6th ed.: Campbell, Tina (2002-07-29). Tributes paid after Dr Who star Cribbins dies aged 93. Belfast Telegraph p. 15.
- MLA 7th ed.: Campbell, Tina. "Tributes paid after Dr Who star Cribbins dies aged 93." Belfast Telegraph [add city] 2002-07-29, 15. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: Campbell, Tina. "Tributes paid after Dr Who star Cribbins dies aged 93." Belfast Telegraph, edition, sec., 2002-07-29
- Turabian: Campbell, Tina. "Tributes paid after Dr Who star Cribbins dies aged 93." Belfast Telegraph, 2002-07-29, section, 15 edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Tributes paid after Dr Who star Cribbins dies aged 93 | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Tributes_paid_after_Dr_Who_star_Cribbins_dies_aged_93 | work=Belfast Telegraph | pages=15 | date=2002-07-29 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=31 March 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Tributes paid after Dr Who star Cribbins dies aged 93 | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Tributes_paid_after_Dr_Who_star_Cribbins_dies_aged_93 | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=31 March 2025}}</ref>
