McDonald Hobley

The Second World War saw Hobley serve as a gunner in the Royal Artillery and become a captain in the South East Asia Command.

He announced, commentated on sport, compèred panel games, provided film commentary and conducted interviews on chat shows.

Holbey resigned from the BBC in 1956 to join ABC Weekend TV as an announcer until he left the ITV franchise three years later to become a freelancer.

[5] He had become interested in the school dramatic society and made a decision to take up acting as a profession after it was suggested to him when he received positive reviews from local critics.

[1][2] He began by performing walk-on roles,[3] before appearing in seven Gilbert and Sullivan operas,[5] and touring before the Second World War in J.

[15] His job was to announce, commentate on sport, compère panel games, film commentary and conduct interviews on chat shows.

[5] Hobley joined Associated British Cinemas (ABC) independent television company that was part of the ITV network as a commentator.

[6][8] In 1956, Hobley chaired the only series of the panel game Yakity Yak in which six woman panellists were encouraged to provide absurd answers to questions.

[20][21] The following year, with his ABC contract allowing him to work freely on weekdays,[22] he returned to BBC Television to be the quiz-master of Up for the Cup, a fortnightly sports quiz show for ten teams of football supporters.

[28][29] He also compèred the talent discovery programme Bid for Fame,[30][31] the panel game Tell the Truth,[32][33] Close Up,[34] and Hometown Saturday Night.

[15][40] Three years later, Holbey co-presented the ITV programme Up and Doing with Anne Edwards as well as having a guest appearance on the quiz game Password,[41][42] He returned to present one series of the inter-town contest It's a Knockout on BBC 1 in 1966.

[6][48] He played a salesman in No Place for Jennifer (1950), Peter Sinclair in The Kilties are Coming (1951), himself in Meet Mr. Lucifer (1953), had a voice over part in The Time of His Life (1955), himself in Man of the Moment (1955), a commentator in Checkpoint (1956), himself in The Entertainer (1960) and Primitive London (1965).

[1][48] In July 1987, Hobley was rehearsing the world premiere of Anthony Marriott and Bob Grant's play Home is Where Your Clothes Are, produced by David Tudor.

[56] He died on 30 July 1987 at his home in Bournemouth during recovery from an operation to remove a cancerous tumour in his head, when he suffered a fatal heart attack.