​An English actor and voice actor, he was one of the stars of the famous 1982 BBC drama serial Boys from the Black Stuff and another Alan Bleasedale TV drama series G.B.H. He also starred in comedies such as Luv and The Liver Birds. He appeared as a villain in the revived television series Auf Wiedersehen Pet, alongside former fellow Black Stuff star Alan Igbon.

He is perhaps best known for narrating the Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends series, which he has done since 1991, when he took over from Ringo Starr. He also narrated John Peel's autobiography, Margrave of the Marshes, on BBC Radio 4 in 2005. In 2006 he starred in the movie Fated, set in his home town of Liverpool, as well as in episodes of Midsomer Murders and The Bill in 2007.