Brian Cant

Brian Cant
Brian Cant at a 'Play School' reunion event
Born	(1933-07-12) 12 July 1933 (age 83) Ipswich, Suffolk, England
Occupation	Television presenter, actor
Years active	1960–present
Spouse(s)	Mary Gibson (divorced) Cherry Britton
Children	Nicholas Cant Richard Cant Rose Cant Christabel Cant Peter Cant

Brian Cant (born 12 July 1933) is an English actor, television presenter and writer best known for his work in BBC television programmes for children from 1964 onwards.

Cant was born in the town of Ipswich, in Suffolk. He was educated at Northgate Grammar School for Boys, a state grammar school in Ipswich, since renamed Northgate High School.

Cant was performing in BBC Schools Drama television Programmes about the Romans for the Corporation when he heard that auditions were being held for a new pre-school children's programme which was to be shown on the new BBC 2 channel. This was Play School. At his audition he was asked by programme creator and the series' first producer Joy Whitby to get in a cardboard box and pretend to 'row out to sea'. He pretended to fish from his 'boat' and caught a wellington boot full of custard. He was cast as a presenter and first appeared on the third week in May 1964, and stayed with the programme for 21 of its 24-year run, becoming 'Mr Play School' according to Joy Whitby. His involvement in Play School directly led to his work on three linked Gordon Murray puppet series: Camberwick Green (1966), Trumpton (1967), and Chigley (1969). Later he hosted or co-hosted the programmes Play Away (1971–84), and Bric-A-Brac (1980–82) for slightly older children.

During the 1990s Cant starred as 'Brian' the farmer in the children's television puppet programme Dappledown Farm, as well as providing the voice for one of the characters, Harry the Heron. Cant is the storyteller of the UK version of Jay Jay the Jet Plane, and the narrator for the popular Canadian children's show Bruno.