Drinkel was born in York, educated at St Michael's College, Leeds, and is now based in Brighton.
[1] He co-starred in series three and four of Peter Tinniswood's long-running comedy I Didn't Know You Cared, and appeared as Mark Gaskell in The Body in the Library (1984).
[2] Drinkel appeared in Eastenders in 1999 as a Prison Officer and twice in Coronation Street, in 2001–02 as Maurice Gregory, father of barmaid Geena on Rovers Return, and most recently, in 2005, as Bob, who dated Liz McDonald for a short time.
[citation needed] In 2006, Drinkel starred in Rock-A-Hula Rest Home as "Jesse Garon", an elderly man who believes he is Elvis Presley.
Drinkel guest-starred in the Big Finish Productions audio adventures Doctor Who: Catch-1782, Sapphire and Steel: The School and Professor Bernice Summerfield: Timeless Passages.