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Legendary TV ventriloquist Ray Alan died suddenly with mystery over dummy

Veteran British entertainer and ventriloquist Ray Alan was best known for his Lord Charles puppet act and appearances on children's television before he sadly passed away

[Ray Alan with Lord Charles]

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Ventriloquist Ray Alan was a popular guest on game shows including Celebrity Squares, Give Us A Clue and 3-2-1, amd even fronted his own children's series, Tich And Quackers

Ventriloquist Ray Alan was a familiar face on television for decades, racking up appearances on variety programmes, as well as fronting his own children's series, Tich And Quackers. But the star, loved by millions for his act alongside boozy, snooty puppet Lord Charles, sadly passed away on this day 16 years ago (24 May).

It is believed he stopped breathing overnight after feeling unwell at his home in Reigate, Surrey, with his agent saying at the time: "He passed away very suddenly."

Alan had been absent from the entertainment scene for several months due to poor health, with old age making it increasingly difficult to operate his beloved ventriloquist's dummy.

[Ray Alan]

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Alan had been absent from the entertainment scene for several months due to poor health, with old age making it increasingly difficult to operate his beloved ventriloquist's dummy(Image: PA)

He was a popular guest on game shows including Celebrity Squares, Give Us A Clue and 3-2-1, and also featured in programmes such as Sunday Night At The London Palladium.

Alan's agent explained just how good her was, saying: "Technically he was regarded as Britain's top ventriloquist. You just couldn't see his mouth moving. He was tremendously well-liked in the business and he had been in the entertainment business all his life."

Born in Greenwich and brought up in south-east London, Alan worked as a 'call boy' at the Lewisham Hippodrome theatre, having left school at just 14.

His early act featured impressions and magic tricks, and he discovered his talent for ventriloquism after pretending voices were emanating from a box on stage. He gave his first official performance as a ventriloquist at the age of 19. The monocled Lord Charles was inspired by a drunken upper-class gentleman whom Alan spotted sitting at a table during a cabaret performance. He subsequently based the puppet's appearance on Stan Laurel.

He once recalled: "I looked at Stan Laurel's face and I thought 'Good God, that's the face I want - just change the hair and put a monocle on it'.

[Ray Alan]

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The beloved Lord Charles character was renowned for his catchphrase "You silly arse"(Image: PA)

"So I played around with some photographs of Stan and found the face, went to the man (who made his ventriloquist dolls) and showed him what I wanted and he made me Lord Charles."

The beloved character was renowned for his catchphrase "You silly arse" and had a habit of being distracted by any attractive women seated in the audience. Among his other creations was Ali Cat, who featured in the 1970s children's programme Magic Circle.

When he died, Alan left just 67,000 in his will. Although his estate was bequeathed to his wife, Jane, there were no instructions over what should happen to Lord Charles.

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