Ray Alan

Ray Alan, the ventriloquist voice behind Lord Charles, dies aged 79
By David Wilkes

Ventriloquist Ray Alan, famous for his act with monocled, upper-crust puppet Lord Charles, died suddenly in his sleep yesterday.
Alan, 79, was best known to millions of television viewers from the 1950s to the 1980s for his appearances on variety shows.

He also had his own children’s series, Tich And Quackers, featuring a schoolboy puppet and his pet duck.

But it was for Lord Charles, first seen on the BBC’s The Good Old Days, that he was best known.

The dinner suit-wearing puppet appeared to be tipsy, was noted for his catchphrase ‘You silly arse’ and would often be distracted by glamorous women in the audience.

Alan’s agent Peter Pritchard said the ventriloquist ‘passed away very suddenly’ at his home in Reigate, Surrey. He had complained of feeling unwell and had not worked for
several months because of ill-health.

Best ventriloquist i’ve ever seen RIP