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Alan Dedicoat
Alan Dedicoat
Born	Hollywood, Worcestershire, England
Occupation(s)	Announcer, newsreader
Years active	1979–present
Employer	BBC
Website	Official website

Alan Dedicoat is an English announcer for programmes on BBC One. He is known as the "Voice of the Balls" on the National Lottery programmes, providing a voiceover for the draws since 1995.^[1] He was a BBC Radio 2 newsreader until his retirement from this role in March 2015. Dedicoat is the announcer on BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing and its American version Dancing with the Stars.

Early life

Dedicoat was born in Hollywood, Worcestershire.^[2] The son of a newsagent, Dedicoat was educated at King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys in Birmingham, and the University of Birmingham.^[2] Dedicoat originally worked in the Civil Service as an executive officer, before joining the BBC.^[3]

Career

Radio

Dedicoat joined BBC Radio WM at Pebble Mill in 1979 as a presenter, before moving to BBC Radio Devon four years later. After working in the West Country, he moved to London to join the Presentation Department of BBC Radio 2 in 1986 at Broadcasting House.^[2] and later became its head, a position he retained until his retirement in 2015. Dedicoat acquired the nickname "Voice of the Balls" from presenter Sir Terry Wogan.^[2] As part of this job, he read the news on BBC Radio 2's weekday breakfast programme, Wake Up to Wogan, until its final edition in December 2009.

In September 2023, Dedicoat joined Portsmouth-based Victory Online where he currently hosts a Sunday morning show titled the "Sunday Supplement."

Television

In 1994, the National Lottery and its draw programmes were launched on BBC Television. The following year, Dedicoat began working as the show's announcer.^[1]

Controversy

In 2015, a recording of Dedicoat was obtained by The Sun newspaper, in which he allegedly claimed that the BBC allowed a "drug peddler" to deliver Class A substances to the desks of staff. He subsequently apologised and retracted his comments.^[4]

Personal life

Dedicoat is the co-owner of multiple examples of the AEC Routemaster (the best-known London red bus) with fellow broadcasters Charles Nove, Ken Bruce and Steve Madden.^[5] He is Patron of the Hospital Broadcasting Association, and has taken part in the National Hospital Radio Awards, both as the voiceover and in person. In addition, Dedicoat is the president of Hospital Radio Bedside, a hospital radio station broadcasting to hospitals in Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch and Wimborne in the UK.^[6]