Alan Dedicoat
| Alan Dedicoat | |
|---|---|
| Born |
1 December 1954 Hollywood, Worcestershire, England |
| Residence | Harrow, London, England |
| Other names | Deadly, Deadly Alancoat, The Voice of the Balls |
| Occupation | Announcer, Newsreader |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Employer | BBC |
| Website | Official Website |
Alan Dedicoat (born 1 December 1954) is an English announcer for programmes on BBC One and BBC Radio 2; he is probably best known as the "Voice of the Balls" on the National Lottery programmes on BBC One and "Deadly", a name referred to him by Sir Terry Wogan. Until March 2015 he also read the news on BBC Radio 2. Dedicoat is also known as the announcer on BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing and its American version, Dancing with the Stars.
Early life
He was born on 1 December 1954 in Hollywood, Worcestershire. The son of a newsagent, Dedicoat was educated at King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys in Birmingham, and the University of Birmingham. Dedicoat originally worked in the Civil Service as an Executive Officer before joining the BBC.
Career
Dedicoat joined BBC Radio Birmingham at Pebble Mill in 1979 as a presenter, before moving to BBC Radio Devon four years later. After his time in the West Country, he moved to London to join the Presentation Department of BBC Radio 2 at Broadcasting House, and later became its head, a position he retained until his semi-retirement on Friday 27 March 2015. As part of this job, he read the news on BBC Radio 2's weekday breakfast programme, Wake Up to Wogan, before its demise in December 2009, as well as on Sarah Kennedy's show until she left the station in 2010. He then became the newsreader for Vanessa Feltz on Sundays, but following a reshuffle of newsreaders in late 2012, his final shift was reading the news on weekdays between 10 am and 5 pm. He is also the voice of Radio 2's "emergency CD" (played when there is a fire alarm or other unforeseen break in programming) and their multiple choice automatic phone menu.
After 28 years at the station, Dedicoat's final news bulletin on BBC Radio 2 was at 5 pm on Friday 27 March 2015. However, he will continue voicing the National Lottery programmes and Strictly Come Dancing.
It was as part of Wake up to Wogan that Dedicoat acquired the nicknames "Voice of the Balls" and "Deadly" from Sir Terry Wogan, the latter by way of a deliberate Spoonerism - "Deadly Alancoat"; he also acquired the nickname "The Wealdstone WeatherBoy" due to the town's closeness with Dedicoat's home town of Harrow.
On television, as well as his role on the National Lottery, he also takes part in the BBC's telethons such as Children in Need, announcing the totals at certain intervals and also voicing previews and the voice-overs in Strictly Come Dancing on BBC One. Since 2005, Dedicoat has been the announcer for Dancing with the Stars, the American version of Strictly Come Dancing which broadcasts twice annually on ABC in the United States.[1] Since 2009 he has been the voice-over for the CBBC show Copycats. He was formerly, in the late 1980s and 1990s, a regular voiceover for trailers on BBC Television.
Dedicoat also works as an after dinner speaker.[2]
Personal life
He is the co-owner of a number of an AEC Routemaster (one of London's famous red buses) with Charles Nove, Ken Bruce and Steve Madden.[3]
He is Patron of the Hospital Broadcasting Association and has taken part in the National Hospital Radio Awards both as the voiceover and in person.
He is also the President of Hospital Radio Bedside, a hospital radio station that broadcasts to hospitals in Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch and Wimborne in the UK.[4][5]
Dedicoat lives in Harrow, London.
References
- ↑ Alan Dedicoat Credits TV.com
- ↑ Jla Alan Dedicoat
- ↑ The red brigade, The Guardian 9 April 2005
- ↑ Hospital Radio Bedside Charity
- ↑ Durkin, Jim (1 March 2014). "Poole Hospital radio staff walking on air after four decade milestone". Bournemouth Daily Echo. Retrieved 28 July 2014.