Robert William "Bobby" Ash (November 5, 1925 – May 20, 2007)[1][2] was an English-born Canadian actor who became known to children in the Toronto area as Uncle Bobby the host of The Uncle Bobby Show on local station CFTO-TV.

Early years

Robert Ash was born in Walsall, England[1] into a family of actors and was brought up in the "pirate" circuses of Britain. Ash's entertainment career began as a child actor with a role in No Mother to Guide Her. During World War II, Ash performed for the British Forces in Stars in Battledress. Ash also worked as a comedy performer and circus clown.

Moving to Canada

After immigrating to Canada (leaving his parents and an unknown woman), Ash answered an ad for a television role as a clown in the CFTO program The Professor's Hideaway in 1959.[3] He appeared on CFTO when it began broadcasting in 1961.[4] (The character of Kiddo later went on to his own show, with a different actor.) After Ash left his first show, he returned to Britain,[5] but returned shortly to Canada to create a new program for CFTO (from 1962 to 1979). Ash took early education course at Seneca College to help his work on television.[3]

Retirement and Death

Even after retirement Ash continued to live in Toronto (Guildwood) [6] and worked on children's books.

Ash later moved north to Elliot Lake from Toronto and died there of a heart attack on May 20, 2007.[3]

Bibliography

  • Ash, Robert (2005). Corky the Clown's Halloween. Illustrated by Amy Thibeault. Ilfracombe: Arthur H. Stockwell Limited. ISBN 978-0-72233697-7.

References

  1. 1 2 Langan, F.F. (May 25, 2007). "'Uncle Bobby' took on Sesame Street: After a start in British music halls, he kept children spellbound with a popular Toronto television show". The Globe and Mail.
  2. ↑ "Children's entertainer 'Uncle Bobby' dies at 82". CTV News. 2007-05-23. Retrieved 2007-05-24.
  3. 1 2 3 Bawden, Jim (May 24, 2007). "Bobby Ash, 82: TV's 'Uncle Bobby'". The Toronto Star.
  4. ↑ "This week's podcast: more Rocket reports". Brioux TV, by Bill Brioux, March 27th, 2013
  5. ↑ "Here's looking at you, Kiddo" Archived 2017-08-13 at the Wayback Machine. Showbiz, Bill Brioux, Nov 26, 2004
  6. ↑ "Uncle Bobby". torontomike.com. April 4, 2008.
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