Gordon Peters facts for kids

Gordon Peters (born Gordon Peter Wilkinson; November 29, 1926 – June 15, 2022) was a talented English actor and comedian. He was known for his funny roles on TV and in films.

Early Life and First Steps

Gordon Peters was born in Shildon, County Durham, England. His birthday was November 29, 1926. His mother taught piano, and his father was a butcher who loved to sing. Both of his parents were amateur performers. Gordon spent much of his early childhood singing in the choir at Durham Cathedral.

After serving in the Royal Navy, Gordon worked as a bank clerk. He worked for the Standard Bank of South Africa in Harare, which was then called Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). While there, he entered a talent contest. He won second place by comically miming to two songs.

A Career in Entertainment

Starting Out in Show Business

In 1951, Gordon Peters returned to the United Kingdom. He found his first acting job after seeing an advertisement in a newspaper called The Stage. This job was a summer season with a group called Vincent Tildsley’s Mastersingers at the Opera House in Blackpool.

Television Roles

Gordon Peters starred in his own BBC TV comedy show in 1973. It was called The Gordon Peters Show. This was a situation comedy, which means it showed funny everyday situations. He played a character with his own name. The show only ran for one season.

In 1976, he created and hosted a children’s quiz show. It was called Around the World in 48 Hours. This show was made for Westward Television.

Gordon Peters appeared in many other popular television shows. He was in two episodes of Hi-de-Hi! and four episodes of Dad's Army. He also appeared in two episodes of Are You Being Served? and one episode of Grace & Favour.

He played Ronnie, a family friend, in three episodes of One Foot in the Grave. This was a long-running BBC sitcom in the 1990s. He also featured in five episodes of Never the Twain. In 2005, he was in one episode of Little Britain. He played a booking clerk in an episode of Keeping Up Appearances. He even appeared in an episode of HBO's Tales from the Crypt.

Voice Acting Work

Gordon Peters also used his voice for acting. From 1995 to 1997, he voiced many characters in the cartoon series Mr. Men and Little Miss. He was the narrator and voiced all the Mr. Men characters. The only exception was a special episode in 1998, where other actors took over those roles.

Personal Life

Gordon Peters married Joan Mann in 1959. However, their marriage later ended in divorce. In 1969, he married Patricia Fraser. They had one daughter together.

In 2004, Gordon Peters wrote a book about his life. It was called From Choirboy to Comic.

Gordon Peters passed away on June 15, 2022. He was 95 years old.