Graham Skidmore
Singer, actor and model who became the voice of Blind Date
GRAHAM SKIDMORE, who has died aged 90, was the disembodied voice giving viewers witty rundowns on the hopefuls looking for love and television stardom on Blind Date, Cilla Black’s dating show, for 17 years from 1985.
“Our Graham”, as the Liverpudlian singer-turnedpresenter called him, would begin each show by whipping the audience into a state of excited anticipation, circus ringmaster style, with the voice-over: “Laaadies and Gentlemen, it’s Bliiind Date!
And here is your host, Miss Cilla Blaaack!”
Cilla would often call on “Our Graham” for “a quick reminder” to contestants about their potential dates, and at the end of his round-ups, Skidmore would announce “the decision... is yours”.
In its heyday Blind Date
attracted 14 million viewers, but by 2001 ratings had fallen, and in 2002 Skidmore fell victim to an ITV revamp.
Piqued that he had learnt about his sacking in a letter, rather than being told in person, Skidmore told the Mail on Sunday what many viewers had suspected – that in recent episodes the programme had been rigged by production staff who not only scripted contestants’ answers but manufactured rows between potential lovebirds because it made for more “exciting television”.
Cilla had also been upset by “our Graham’s” enforced departure. He had, she wrote in her memoirs, “always been there and the audience loved him, even though they never saw him”.
In May 2003 she, too, quit the show.
The identity of Our Graham was such a wellkept secret that viewers would never have guessed that the voice was that of an elegant, silver-haired man familiar from advertising campaigns – and a few films.
The son of a Woolworths manager, Graham George Skidmore was born in 1931 in West Bromwich, near Birmingham, and grew up in London.
After leaving school he did his National Service in the Royal Army Medical Corps. He hoped to become a doctor, only to miss his final exams due to an ear infection, which also saved him from a posting to Korea.
He eventually found work in the electronics industry, as well as owning a corner shop and launderette and developing properties.
Skidmore always loved singing and joined a male voice choir. He went on to take professional singing lessons and in 1959 he successfully auditioned for the musical Marigold (Savoy Theatre) starring Jeremy Brett and Jean Kent.
Tall and good-looking, Skidmore found work as a photographic model and appeared in television commercials, including as the Vaseline Hair Cream man. He featured on posters for an “Unzip a banana” campaign, and with his family in ads for P&O travel and the Abbey National. He also did voice overs for B&Q and Texas.
In addition he had small roles on television and in films such as The Pure Hell of St Trinian’s (1960) and The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961).
During his time with Blind Date, the producers occasionally suggested that Skidmore make an appearance on the show, but he always refused, worried that if he was too closely identified with the programme he would lose other work.
Once he was nearly “outed”: “I was filming with Peter O’toole in Nicholas Nickleby when someone said, ‘Do you know, you sound exactly like Our Graham’,” he recalled. “I said, ‘Oh dear, I really try not to.’ ”
Skidmore had a small role in the 1999 film Eyes Wide Shut and he did other television voice work – including introducing the contestants and intoning the “Oovavus” and “Iranus” in response to answers on the spoof quiz show Shooting Stars, hosted by Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer.
In 1966 he married Pauline Mickleburgh, with whom he had three children.
Graham Skidmore died on Boxing Day 2021, but news of his death was only reported after it was mentioned in a recent journal of the actors’ union Equity.
Graham Skidmore, born 1931, died December 26 2021