Alan Dedicoat

Alan Dedicoat
Born Alan Dedicoat
(1954-12-01) 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. 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 10am and 5pm. 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 5pm 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.

Dedicoat also works as an after dinner speaker.[2]

Personal life

He is the co-owner of a number of 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, Dorset and Wimborne in the UK.[4][5]

Dedicoat lives in Harrow, London.

References

  1. ↑ Alan Dedicoat Credits TV.com
  2. ↑ Jla Alan Dedicoat
  3. ↑ The red brigade, The Guardian 9 April 2005
  4. ↑ Hospital Radio Bedside Charity
  5. ↑ Durkin, Jim (1 March 2014). "Poole Hospital radio staff walking on air after four decade milestone". Bournemouth Daily Echo. Retrieved 28 July 2014.

External links

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