Eastenders and Coronation Street star Ray Brooks left huge £1.5M fortune to his two children after death aged 86
EASTENDERS and Coronation Street star Ray Brooks left a massive £1.5million final gift in his will, The Sun can reveal.
The beloved stage and screen actor, who narrated the classic 1970s children’s show Mr Benn, passed away last August after a short illness.
New documents have revealed the star passed on £1,571,855 to his children, Will and Tom, after his wife Sadie died in 2021.
A will seen by The Sun and signed off by the High Court last week revealed that Ray, who also made appearances in 60s sitcom Taxi!, made several final wishes
Ray signed the will in 2012, the nine-page document reveals.
Brooks was best known for playing Pauline Fowler’s second husband, Joe Macer, who killed Pauline in a Christmas Day row in 2006.
The dramatic scene saw Ray’s character whack her over the head with a frying pan in one of the most-watched episodes of the year.
Ray’s career spanned five decades and saw him take on roles that made him a familiar face and voice.
As one of the only actors to star in both Albert Square and Corrie, he played Norman Philips in the ITV soap in the 1960s.
Norman was the nephew of talent agent Lenny Phillips, but was promoted when Dennis Tanner’s errors caused losses.
He made eight appearances in Corrie before leaving to star in other shows.
Other credits included Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Carry On Abroad and Doctor Who offshoot Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150AD.
His remarkable voice saw him land several roles as narrator, including on iconic children’s show Mr Benn.
It saw its animated main character transported around the universe through a mysterious costume shop.
Only 13 episodes of the show were ever made, but they were repeated on TV for decades.
He also voiced thousands of adverts for companies including Guinness, Whiskas, Marmite and R Whites Lemonade.
Brooks later admitted that his career failed to hit the heights that some had expected.
He said in 2010: “I don’t think I was ever that good an actor. I was more an image of a young man. I was never as good looking as, say, my contemporary, David Hemmings.
“And don’t forget this was the period of Terence Stamp. So there was a lot of competition.”
After his death, EastEnders said: “We are deeply saddened to hear that Ray Brooks has passed away.
“Ray will always be remembered fondly by everyone that worked with him at EastEnders.
“Our love and thoughts are with Ray’s family and friends.”
