Composer Steve Brown, 66, who penned music for Spitting Image and Ant & Dec dies

04 February 2024 , 21:21

664     0

Composer Steve Brown, 66, who penned music for Spitting Image and Ant & Dec dies

A British composer who penned the music for hit comedy shows like Spitting Image and Dead Ringers has died at the age of 66.

Steve Brown passed away from lung disease, his agent confirmed. Described as a 'one-off talent', Brown began his career writing songs for BBC Radio 4 sketch series In One Ear before going on to work alongside comedy greats such as Rory Bremner, Harry Hill and Lenny Henry.

As well as writing, he provided many of the sung impressions on the original series of Spitting Image in the late 1980s and Nineties. He appeared onscreen too, playing fictional bandleader Glenn Ponder in Steve Coogan's Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Patridge and he continued to work with Coogan on two of his UK tours. He wrote a number of songs for BBC Two show Dead Ringers, appearing briefly as Noel Gallagher while Jon Culshaw portrayed Liam Gallagher. He also acted as MD for impressionists Ronni Ancona and Alistair McGowan.

Composer Steve Brown, who worked with some of the biggest UK comics, has died at the age of 66 (Redferns)

In 1995, he started a partnership with Ant and Dec which would see Brown compose the music for The Ant & Dec Show on Children's BBC. He later worked on their SMTV Live show - and is the man behind the famous 'Wonkey Donkey' jingle - among other things. Later on, he worked as a jingle writer for their hit ITV show Saturday Night Takeaway.

Other TV shows he worked on included the 2015 revival of Stars In Their Eyes, Lee Mack's Not Going Out, Lenny Henry Goes to Town, My Parents Are Aliens and CITV kids show Scrambled!

Ant and Dec’s Limitless Win players could win UK TV's biggest cash prize ever

Away from TV, Brown was also a record producer who worked on the triple platinum selling album Seasons of My Soul by Rumer, as well as Laura Mvula's Sing To The Moon album, both top 10 records in British charts.

Brown penned the theme tune for Wonkey Donkey for Ant & Dec's SMTV show (ITV)

Sharing the sad news he had passed away, Brown's agent Vivienne Clore wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: "Devastated to share the news that our much loved client Steve Brown has passed away. Sod fibrosis lung disease."

Actress and impressionist Kate Robbins, who worked with Brown on Dead Ringers and voiced most of the female voices on the original Spitting Image lead the tributes and said: "Steve Brown. A musician, composer and witty lyricist beyond compare. Working with him on Spitting Image songs was always riotous. Such high standards with joy at the heart of his ideas. So much laughter! Kind, honest and SUCH a talent. A one-off. Rest easy now Steve."

Brown leaves behind two sons from his first marriage to Dead Ringers star Jan Ravens, stand-up comedian Alfie Brown and musician Lenny Brown. He remarried actor Deborah Cornelius in 2010 and was a step-dad to her daughter Manon.

Katie Wilson