Andy Crane (born February 24, 1964) (real name Howard Craine) is an English television and radio host, best known for his stint in the Children's BBC "The Broom Cupboard" in the 1980s. February 24 is the 55th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto)1 Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Monarch Queen Elizabeth II... CBBC Logo CBBC - short for Childrens BBC - is the brand-name for the BBCs childrens television programmes aimed at children aged between 6 and 12 years old. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Crane shot to fame when he took over from Phillip Schofield as the onscreen continuity announcer during the late afternoon children's programming on the BBC in 1987. Crane introduced - and actually started - each programme while also reading out viewer letters and indulging in banter with puppet co-host Edd the Duck - a duck with punk overtones who could communicate with Crane purely through quacking noises. Another frequent co-host was a butler called Wilson - effectively just an arm on a hidden and unidentified body with black jacket sleeve and white glove. Phillip Schofield (born on April 1, 1962 in Oldham, Lancashire, England) is a British TV presenter and occasional actor and singer. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Year 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar). ... Edd the Duck (originally Ed the Duck) is a popular puppet mallard duck who appeared on the Childrens BBC The Broom Cupboard in-vision continuity alongside (human) presenters Andy Crane and Andi Peters. ... The butler is a senior servant in a large household. ...

The presentation venue was known as the "broom cupboard" as the studio was a tiny booth where offscreen continuity communicators would sit during the rest of the broadcasting day and make their announcements. Crane once got through an appalling seven-minute technical breakdown by slowly reading out the UK singles charts. The UK Singles Chart is currently compiled by the Official UK Charts Company on behalf of the music industry. ...

During this time Crane also presented some episodes of Top Of The Pops before leaving the BBC in 1990 - subsequent "broom cupboard" hosts were not regarded as highly as Schofield and Crane by critics - to join ITV to co-host their Saturday morning show Motormouth. He spent two years on this programme and then hosted Bad Influence! and What's Up Doc! on the same channel. Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, was a long-running British music chart television programme, made and broadcast by the BBC. It was originally shown each week, mostly on BBC One, from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. ... Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ... Independent Television (generally known as ITV, but also as ITV Network) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters, set up under the Independent Television Authority (ITA) to provide competition to the BBC. ITV is the oldest commercial television network in the UK. Since 1990 and the Broadcasting... Bad Influence! was a factual television show shown on Children’s ITV that looked at [video games] and computer technology. ...

He presented quiz show Say the Word on Challenge in 1997 before concentrating predominantly on radio work. He hosted the nightly show Lovelines on 105.4 Century FM in the north west of England - coincidentally, the presenter on before him was Pat Sharp, one of his co-presenters on What's Up Doc!. From October 2005 to July 2006 Crane also presented a Sunday morning phone-in show in London on LBC 97.3. Challenge is a British digital TV channel owned by Virgin Media Television. ... Year 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar). ... 105. ... Pat Sharp, sometimes nicknamed Patman,[2] (born October 25, 1961) is an English radio and television presenter and disk jockey. ... Talk radio is a radio format which features discussion of topical issues. ... LBC 97. ...

Crane is married with three daughters.

He is now primarily the news anchor on Channel M, a local TV station in Manchester, and is to be seen around the streets most days conducting interviews. He can also be heard as the Narrator on late night ITV reality show Redcoats. Channel M is a television station which is based in Manchester. ... Independent Television (generally known as ITV, but also as ITV Network) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters, set up under the Independent Television Authority (ITA) to provide competition to the BBC. ITV is the oldest commercial television network in the UK. Since 1990 and the Broadcasting... Red coat or redcoat may refer to the following: A soldier of the British Army. ...

Trivia

Crane's legacy has been assured by the fact that he is referred to in the 1988 song by A Tribe of Toffs - a Sunderland pop group who had a successful novelty song, which became a hit, with the splendidly named 'John Kettley is a Weatherman'. In it, they listed a range of then famous C-list celebrities with dodgy rhyming that went from the just about believable to the clearly bizarre. A Tribe of Toffs were a Novelty pop band from Sunderland in the UK. They are most remembered for their top 30 single John Kettley is a Weatherman in 1988. ... John Kettley is a freelance weatherman. ...

The song starts:

John Kettley is a weatherman

A weatherman, a weatherman

John Kettley is a weatherman

And so is Michael Fish

Crane is then immortalised with the line "Andy Crane has got no brain" John Kettley is a freelance weatherman. ... John Kettley is a freelance weatherman. ... Michael Fish (born April 27, 1944) was a weather forecaster, most known for his BBC television weather presentations, although he was actually employed by the Met Office. ...

The BBC's H2G2 site, while filling us in on the rest of the famous song, memorably described Crane thus:

"After Simon Parkin's departure ... the job fell to lovable floppy-haired buffoon Andy Crane. Crane was mostly notable for foisting noisy puppet Edd The Duck onto an unwilling public." The term Buffoon is used to define someone who provides amusement through inappropriate appearance and/or behavior. ...

After leaving Century FM listeners to 'Lovelines' were so outraged they were not happy with his replacements, this lost the show a hefty amount of listeners and regular text messages and phone ins were to ask where had Andy gone as his successors were not as good.

Crane's LBC Sunday morning show became known as one which relied heavily on his detailed reminiscing of any given subject. This was not overlooked by Iain Lee on the station's afternoon show who aired an MP3 created by a listener which reflected this by setting new lyrics to the song 'Kayleigh' by Marillion, the main hook of which is a sample of Andy saying 'Do you remember?'. Crane replayed the track on his own show, immediately after which he began to reminisce about elements within the song itself. Iain Lee (born 9 June 1973) is a radio and television presenter. ... Marillion is a British Rock group. ...

External links

• Andy Crane and Lovelines on 1054centuryfm.com
• "And Now, For Younger Viewers..." A history of CBBC continuity from 1985 to 1994, from Off The Telly
• Andy Crane talks at length to Off The Telly about his career in the Broom Cupboard and beyond
• The Broom Cupboard.co.uk, a history of CBBC continuity from 1985 to 1992, with over 150 pictures
• The BAD INFLUENCE! website
• Channel M - TV for Manchester
• Andy Crane on UK Resistance