Charles Edward Springall is an English comedian, actor, writer and singer who took his mother's maiden name "Drake".

He was born in London, and, with his small stature, curly hair and liking for slapstick was a popular comedian with children in his early years.

He was a popular television entertainer in the 1950s and 1960s, making his TV debut in "The Centre Show" in 1953. He then joined his wartime comrade Jack Edwardes to form a double act, and following an appearance in a talent show, called themselves "Mick and Montmorency".

Moving his appeal to a wider audience, he appeared in "Laughter in Store" (1957), "Drake's Progress" (1957), "Charlie Drake In..." (1958 to 1960) and "The Charlie Drake Show" (1960 to 1961). He is remembered for his opening catchphrase "Hello My Darlings!"

TV fame led to four films, none of them successful - "Sands of the Desert" (1960), "Petticoat Pirates" (1961), "The Cracksman" (1963) and "Mr Ten Percent" (1967). He returned to TV in 1963 with "The Charlie Drake Show" again, a compilation of which won an award at the Montreux Television Festival in 1968. Other shows included "Who is Sylvia" (1967) and "Slapstick and Old Lace" (1971), but it was "The Worker" (1965 to 1970) that was his best by far.

He made a few more appearances on TV, but concentrated on straight stage acting, including Shakespeare and Harold Pinter, and a TV performance as "Smallweed" in "Bleak House" (1985) and even as a criminal in a thriller series.