Alan Dedicoat
His smooth, resonant voice became the soundtrack to Britain's Saturday nights, calling lottery numbers and dance scores for decades.
Born 1954 (age 72)·English TV announcer·Birthday: December 1·Baby Boomers
Biography
Alan Dedicoat's career is a masterclass in becoming an auditory institution. Born in the English village of Hollywood, his path wasn't film but broadcasting, starting in local radio before his crisp, trustworthy delivery landed him at BBC Radio 2 as a newsreader. His defining turn came in 1995 when he was cast as the 'Voice of the Balls' for the National Lottery, his rhythmic intonation turning numbered draws into a national ritual. That same reliable authority found a glittering new home on 'Strictly Come Dancing' in 2004, where his announcements of 'Sevens!' and 'Tens!' became as anticipated as the dances themselves. Even after retiring from radio news in 2015, Dedicoat's voice remained a fixture, a comforting and familiar presence in the fabric of British light entertainment.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Alan was born in 1954, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Alan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1954
#1 Movie
White Christmas
Best Picture
On the Waterfront
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Alan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1954Born
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1959Started school
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1967Became a teenager
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1970Could drive
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1972Could vote
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1975Turned 21
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1984Turned 30
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1994Turned 40
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 50
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 60
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 70
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 72 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the official 'Voice of the Balls' for the UK National Lottery draws from their 1995 inception.
- Was the continuity announcer for BBC One's 'Strictly Come Dancing' from its launch in 2004.
- Provided the announcing voice for the American version, 'Dancing with the Stars', from its 2005 debut.
- Had a long tenure as a newsreader for BBC Radio 2 until his retirement from that role in 2015.
Did You Know?
His nickname 'The Voice of the Balls' was coined by comedian Jim Davidson.
He is sometimes referred to as 'Deadly' Dedicoat, a nickname from his radio days.
He provided the voice for the 'Teasmade' talking alarm clock in the 1990s.
Before broadcasting, he worked as a bank clerk.
“My voice has introduced more lottery winners than anyone else in Britain.”
