Bobby Knutt

Bobby Knutt (born 25 November 1945) is a British television actor, who started in entertainment as a stand-up comedian. He is best known for playing Albert Dingle in Emmerdale.

Biography

Bobby Knutt was born Andrew Robert Wass in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England. He started as a singer aged 16 in a group called Bob Andrews and the Questors' in 1961 He then moved on to another group'The Whirlwinds' in 1963, and in early 1964 he formed a comedy double act called Pee & Knutt. His partner Geoff Morton refused to turn professional, so in 1965 he went on his own calling himself Bobby Knutt, at the age of 19 he was probably the youngest pro comedian in the country. He was first known for his performances on the Granada Television show The Comedians and The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club. In 1976 he was given the lead role in the BBC's The Price of Coal directed by Ken Loach. He has since acted in many British television comedies and dramas including Last of the Summer Wine, Heartbeat, Hetty Wainthropp Investigates, All Creatures Great & Small, Our Friends in the North, Emmerdale as Albert Dingle and Coronation Street as the first garage boss Ron Sykes.

Knutt was married to Donna Hartley-Wass, bronze medalist in the 1980 Olympic Games in the 4x400m relay, from 20 January 1986 until her death in 2013. On his 25th wedding anniversary he was quoted as saying, "I wish I'd married my third wife first".

He has had regular roles in 14 pantomimes at Sheffield's Crucible & Lyceum theatres. In 2008 he published his autobiography Eyup Knutty followed by the sequel Eyup Again in 2010. He now works as a comedian on cruise ships and provides the voice of "Gaffer" on Tetley Tea Folk TV ads.

References

External links

• Bobby Knutt at the Internet Movie Database