Derek Fowlds (2 September 1937 – 17 January 2020) was an English actor, known for his appearances in popular TV series including The Basil Brush Show, Yes Minister and the long-running police drama Heartbeat, in which he played Oscar Blaketon for 18 years.

Early life

Fowlds was born in Wandsworth, London, the son of Ketha Muriel (née Treacher) and James Witney Fowlds, a salesman. Fowlds was educated at Ashlyns School, a former Secondary Modern School in the historic town of Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire.

Career

After amateur acting, Fowlds trained at RADA and made his debut on the West End stage in The Miracle Worker. He appeared in various film roles, including Tamahine (1963), East of Sudan (1964), Hotel Paradiso (1966), Frankenstein Created Woman (1967), The Smashing Bird I Used to Know (1969), Tower of Evil (1972) and Mistress Pamela (1974), prior to becoming familiar to British television viewers as 'Mr. Derek' in the children's series The Basil Brush Show, replacing Rodney Bewes as presenter.

He played the role of Lord Randolph Churchill in the ATV series Edward the Seventh (1975). He played Bernard Woolley in Yes Minister and its sequel Yes, Prime Minister alongside Paul Eddington and Nigel Hawthorne.

From 1983 to 1985, Fowlds played the lead role in the sitcom Affairs of the Heart. He featured in a more sinister role in the 1990 political thriller Die Kinder. Fowlds then played Oscar Blaketon in the long running ITV police drama nostalgia series Heartbeat for its entire run. The character first appeared as the local police sergeant, then retired from the force and ran the post office before becoming a publican.

Personal life and death

Fowlds was married to Wendy Tory and Blue Peter presenter and dancer Lesley Judd and twice divorced. He was the father of two children including the actor Jeremy Fowlds. He died at Royal United Hospital in Bath on 17 January 2020 at age 82, from complications of heart failure and sepsis, which came after he had been suffering from pneumonia.