Famous Voices from the UK

Every once in a while, each of us is plagued by the unsettling feeling that a voice we hear on the radio or television sounds oddly familiar. 

However, the fact of the matter is that there are a great number of well-known celebrities in the UK, who have discovered a lucrative second career working in the field of voice-overs.

The use of celebrities in advertising is an excellent method for establishing the credibility of a brand, and for assisting a product in standing out in a competitive market. Thus, increasing the likelihood that consumers will pay attention to the message and, as a result, make a purchase.

We have put together a short list of some of the most well-known voices to originate from the United Kingdom, along with the works in which they have lent their talents to as voice over artists.

Dervla Kirwan

When Dervla Kirwan went completely overboard while telling us about the seductive qualities of a Marks and Spencer’s chocolate pudding, the resulting voice over became one of the most famous and successful advertising campaigns in the history of the voice over industry.

Her seductive performance left the country speechless and aching to get their hands on some of their tantalising food for themselves.

Since then, the Irish actress has admitted that she “went totally over the top” when she was performing this in this role, and that she “can’t stop laughing” whenever she hears the advertisement. On the other hand, given how well it turned out, perhaps going a little bit overboard every once in a while, is not such a bad idea.

Tim Curry

Tim Curry is widely regarded as one of the most talented British voice actors, in addition to being successful in the many roles he has played as an actor (notably, the ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’). Curry has leant his voice to approximately 124 projects to date, due to his, quite frankly, iconic and instantly recognisable voice.

Sadly, in 2012 Curry suffered from a stroke at his home in Los Angeles, however he did not let this stop him from working within the industry. After years of speech therapy, Curry has continued to record voice overs for TV, film, animations and video games – much to his fanbase’s delight.

His roles as Emperor Palpatine in The Clone Wars, Dr. Nigel Thornberry in The Wild Thornberries, and Dr. Joseph Chadwick in Ben 10 are among his most memorable voice-over performances to date.

Sir David Attenborough

Sir David Attenborough, arguably the most popular environmentalist on the face of the Earth, has lent his voice to the narration of hundreds television shows.

The earliest example of his voiceover work dates all the way back to 1954, when he narrated Zoo Quest, a series of multi-part nature documentaries broadcast on BBC. Since then, Attenborough has both narrated and produced countless environmental documentaries for the BBC, and helped curate the BBC’s own Natural History Unit, who specialise in creating these important programmes.

Attenborough’s voice has become the voice of reason when it comes to environmental issues. His calming and influential tone inspires his viewers to really listen to the information in which he provides, alongside the captivating footage on screen; a key tool in spreading the message of his documentaries.

Sally Lindsay

Recently, it has been discovered that customers are more likely to trust English voice over artists with a ‘familiar accent’.

This has led to an increase in demand for regional accents in the United Kingdom, and this trend is expected to continue to grow in popularity throughout 2023. This is excellent news for actresses like Stockport’s finest; Sally Lindsay.

Lindsay has a soft, calming and feminine voice, however her Northern accent is the icing on the cake, adding a sense of comfort to any project that she lends her voice to. This is extremely helpful for companies trying to reach a wider audience, as their advertising (thanks to Lindsay’s voice) involves a sense of trust.

Lindsay is best known for her role as Shelley on Coronation Street, but has been known to provide her voice to advertising campaigns for Bet365, Sky1, Sainsbury’s, and Google+.

Joanna Lumley

When you think of Joanna Lumley, the term ‘voice artist’ probably doesn’t spring to mind. It is more likely that you picture her playing the role of Patsy Stone in the BBC sitcom, Absolutely Fabulous.

However, over the course of her career, Lumley has gained prominence as a voice-over artist with her voice work in TV, advertisements and radio. Did you know that it was indeed Lumley’s voice saying “Welcome to AOL,” “You have email,” and “Goodbye”, when using the website back in the 1990’s? Mind. Blown.

This type of ‘upscale’ British voice over is used by some businesses to give the impression that their product is of the highest possible calibre and level of sophistication.

When a customer makes a purchase, they are, in essence, investing in the way of life that is represented by the brand message. It is a popular option, particularly among companies that produce cosmetics. Other businesses opt for a voice that is more approachable and one in which they believe customers can more readily identify.

Lumley has also made her iconic ‘posh’ British female voiceover skills known across the airwaves, through her participation in the major radio adaptation of A Hitckhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Additionally, she has voice acted for a number of animated films, such as; The Corpse Bride, Animals United, Doogal, and Alice in Wonderland.

Gary Oldman

English actor and filmmaker Gary Oldman is another star on this list. Most well-known for his acting roles within mainstream Hollywood blockbusters, Oldman is no stranger to lending his voice to the voiceover industry.

Oldman has worked on many animated features over the years; Kung Fu Panda 2, A Christmas Carol, and Quest for Camelot, to name a few.

Surprisingly, a lot of his voiceover work is part of the video game sector. Oldman has voiced a dragon named Ignitius in the Spyro the Dragon franchise from 2006 to 2008, Viktor Reznov in the Call of Duty games, and most recently Lord Vortech in Lego Dimensions.

It is understandable why Gary Oldman would be the perfect fit for voiceover work, particularly within video games, due to his gritty, deep, and impressionable voice, which holds the power to create excitement, and provide a dangerous edge to any project that he is part of.

Peter Dickson

Peter Dickson is voice-over artist from Northern Ireland, and is not exactly a household name. However, that does not mean that his voice is not among the most prominent in the United Kingdom.

Dickson has provided his voice to well-known television shows including; Ireland’s Got Talent, The X Factor, Family Fortunes, and The Price is Right, which we can guarantee if you were to listen to, you would instantly recognise.

In addition to his work for Saturday night television, he has extensive experience working as a specialist in radio campaigns for shows such as Downton Abbey, Drink Drive, Euro Millions, and Heinz. It is said that he has provided his voice for more than 30,000 advertisements for radio and television over the years, and we’re sure that we will be hearing more of his voice in the future.

Olivia Colman

Thanks to Olivia Colman’s television roles in Broadchurch and The Crown, she has become one of the United Kingdom’s most well-known actresses. Although, Colman has undertaken a significant amount of voiceover work in her career in addition to her day job as an actress.

Companies such as Sky Box Office, the BBC, Sainsbury’s, Airwick, and Andrex are among those that have all paid for the use of her voice in their advertising over the years.

Colman has built up a wealth of experience using in voice acting too, as she is a frequent participant in comedy shows broadcast on BBC Radio 4.

Do you need a voiceover of your own? We’re here to help!

Here at Matinée Multilingual, we have a vast database of talented voice artists who specialise in everything from explainer videos to interactive toys. Whichever language you require a voiceover in (we offer over 80!) and whatever your next project is, let us help you bring it to life with our expert voiceover services.

To find out how we can help your business with professional subtitling, translation, and voiceover services, why not get in touch with us today? We provide services in over 80 languages including French, Italian, Spanish and German voice overs and subtitling.

Email us at project@matinee.co.uk

Or call us on +44 (0) 118 958 4934