Star of Carry On, The Navy Lark and Doctor films

Carry on star actor Leslie Phillips, known for his ‘Ding Dong’, ‘Well, Hello’ and ‘I Say!’ catchphrases has died at the age of 98.

His wife Zara said: ‘I've lost a wonderful husband and the public has lost a truly great showman.

‘He was quite simply a national treasure. People loved him. He was mobbed everywhere he went.

‘When we married ,he cheekily introduced me to the Press as royalty, insisting I was the new Zara Phillips and that I was related to the Queen.’

Although he was known for his rakishly debonaire characters, Phillips was actually born into abject poverty in Tottenham, North London. His father Frederick worked at a cooker factory, where the polluted air led to a weak heart and dropsy, and he died at the age of 44.

His mother Cecelia sent him to the Italia Conti stage school to receive elocution lessons to lose his London accent. It paid off, as he made his West End debut in Peter Pan at age 11 and by the age of 14 was the family's main breadwinner, saving his mother from squalor.

After National Service with the Royal Artillery and Durham Light Infantry, he embarked on the regional theatre circuit, where he developed as a character actor.

His break came in the hugely popular BBC radio comedy series The Navy Lark in 1959 , where he played the navigating officer Sub Lieutenant Phillips. It ran for 244 episodes over 18 years.

He was a stalwart of British comedy films of the early Sixties, including three Carry Ons (as well as the 1992 revival Carry on Columbus), and three Doctor films, where his catchphrase was formed. However he confessed that the lecherous catchphrases had been 'a punishment' – but added that he had 'enjoyed himself' with the caddish way he said 'hello'.

As British film comedy dwindled, he turned to straight roles in films such as Out of Africa, Empire of the Sun and Scandal. In later years, he has made cameos in various comedies and dramas, ranging from the Lara Croft movie to Heartbeat.  He found later success as the voice of The Sorting Hat in the Harry Potter films and his screen credits run to more than 150 films and TV shows.

He was awarded the OBE in 1998, and the CBE ten years later. 

Here he is in Catherine Tate's show, nicking the catchphrase of her Nan character: 

Published: 8 Nov 2022