Raymond Alan Whyberd (18 September 1930 – 24 May 2010) was an English ventriloquist, television entertainer, and writer. His career spanned over half a century, though he was most popular from the 1950s until the 1980s. He was associated primarily with the dummies Lord Charles and Ali Kat and later with the puppets Tich and Quackers.
Early life
Born Raymond Alan Whyberd in Greenwich, London, Alan was educated at Morden Terrace School, Lewisham. He was introduced to the world of entertainment at a young age, entering a talent contest at the age of five at his local Gaumont cinema.
Entertainment career
Aged 13, Alan became a call-boy at the Hippodrome Theatre in Lewisham, where he started to do magic sets on stage between acts. He then started to entertain private functions, introducing ventriloquism into his act, along with playing the ukulele. who first appeared at a charity show in Wormwood Scrubs Prison, London. He died from complications of pneumonia and pulmonary fibrosis at East Surrey Hospital in Redhill, on 24 May 2010, at the age of 79.
- The Tich and Quackers Show (1966)
- Ice Show (1969)
- The Generation Game (1974)
- Tell Me Another (1976–1978, guest, comedic anecdotal series)
- Magic Circle (1977)
- Three Little Words (c. 1980)
- Give Us a Clue (17 November 1980)
- The Sooty Show – "Soo's Party Problem" (1983)
- Mike Reid's Mates and Music (1984)
- Bobby Davro's TV Weekly (1987)
Alan was also the presenter of the panel game Where in the World and of the children's quiz show It's Your Word.
- Just a Minute, BBC Radio 4 (four appearances late 1970s)
- The News Huddlines, BBC Radio 4 (presenter for one show, 29 October 1975)