London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Jun 30, 2026

Boy, 6, becomes voice of Blackpool Tower

Boy, 6, becomes voice of Blackpool Tower

Tower-obsessed Charlie Barratt recorded the welcome speech visitors hear as they ascend the lift

Some little boys are obsessed with Lego. Others can’t get enough of dinosaurs. But it is Blackpool Tower that has captured one six-year-old’s imagination.

Now Charlie Barratt has achieved his dream by becoming the voice of the attraction’s lift after news of his superfandom spread.

Charlie did a project about the tower at school, recording his own version of the lift’s existing speech.

One of his teachers contacted Kenny Mew, the tower’s operation manager, and told him about Charlie’s love for the 518ft (157m) structure.

Mew told BBC Radio Lancashire: “His school reached out to me and said they had this young boy who was passionate about Blackpool Tower and had actually recorded the lift speech and I was thinking to myself, ‘How’s he done that?’

“I played it back and he had the speech word for word that we’d had recorded already in the lift and it just sounded amazing. And we thought, ‘Do you know what? We’re going to give Charlie the opportunity to do it.’

“He was absolutely brilliant, he’s done an amazing job, and we’re really proud of what he’s done.”


Charlie was invited into a professional recording studio to perform his version and his mum, Wendy, is as thrilled as he is. She told the BBC: “He absolutely adores the tower and the passion that he shows for it is amazing.

“We are the proudest parents, he’s just taken it all in his stride. His last topic at school was about Blackpool Tower, so he knew all the facts and he was firing them out across the classroom.

“He loves it and he’s been like that since [he was] very little really, since we first took him up there. From the minute he could walk, really.”

As well as the lift, there are plans afoot for Charlie to lend his voice to other areas in the future.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Crime and Policing Act 2026 Comes into Force with New Justice System Reforms
UK Prime Minister Hosts NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte for Security Talks at Downing Street
UK Tightens Oversight of Emissions Trading Scheme Through New Ministerial Directions
UK Issues Statement at UN Security Council on Violence in the West Bank
UK Environment Agency Clears Illegal Waste Site in West Yorkshire After Court Action
UK Resident Sentenced for Fraudulently Claiming £30,000 in Covid Business Loans
UK Launches Taskforce to Help Young People Claim Dormant Child Trust Fund Savings
UK Gambling Commission Fines Betfred Operator Petfre Gibraltar £900,000 Over Social Responsibility Failures
UK Appoints Lord Collins as Global Envoy for LGBT+ Rights
UK Expands Detention Capacity to Support Removal of Foreign Criminals and Failed Asylum Seekers
UK Resident Doctors End Strike Action After Accepting Government Pay Deal
UK Tightens Sentencing for Domestic Killings with 25-Year Starting Point for Murder of Partners
UK to Build at Least Six New Royal Navy Warships Under Expanded Defence Programme
UK Government Unveils £5 Billion Defence Investment Plan Focused on Drones and Autonomous Warfare Systems
UK Economy Records 0.6% First Quarter Growth as Services and Manufacturing Drive Steady Expansion
Welsh Government Unveils New Agricultural Support Plan Focused on Sustainability and Rural Growth
UK Teacher Recruitment Shortfalls Continue in Science and STEM Subjects
Police Scotland Expands Cybercrime Investigations Amid Rising Digital Fraud
UK Universities Warn of Risk to International Student Numbers Amid Visa Changes
UK Defence Ministry Pivots Toward Greater Domestic Military Procurement
UK Launches National Rail Review After Repeated Service Disruptions
Northern Ireland Assembly Debates Long-Term Funding Settlement for Public Services
UK Accelerates Approval of North Sea Offshore Wind Projects to Expand Energy Capacity
UK Retail Sales Fall as Households Cut Discretionary Spending in June
UK Expands Border Intelligence Cooperation with France and Belgium to Target Smuggling Networks
Scottish Government Faces Pressure Over Delays in Major Infrastructure and Transport Projects
UK Launches Multi-Billion-Pound Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Investment Fund
National Health Service Warns of Continued Emergency Department Strain Across England
Bank of England Signals Interest Rate Hold as Wage Growth Keeps Inflation Elevated
UK Sets Emergency Fiscal Strategy as Inflation Pressures and Weak Manufacturing Growth Persist
UK Launches New Measures to Improve Safety Standards in Night-Time Venues
UK Tightens Import Rules for Low-Value Parcels to Support Domestic Retailers
UK Launches £85 Million Obesity Care Programme Targeting Early Intervention Projects
UK Commits Up to $26 Million to Ebola Response in Democratic Republic of Congo
Security Industry Authority Flags Safety Failures in Night-Time Economy Inspections
Cambridge South Railway Station Opens After £250 Million Investment
UK Moves to Close Import Duty Loophole for Small Parcels by 2028
UK Invests £85 Million in Projects to Transform Obesity Care
Berkeley Group Warns London Housebuilding Falling Far Short of Demand
UK Council Tax Arrears Rise to £9.3 Billion Amid Ongoing Household Financial Strain
Markets Watch Political Transition as Andy Burnham Emerges as Labour Leadership Frontrunner
Extreme Heat Raises Long-Term Risks for UK Inflation and Productivity, Analysts Warn
UK Health Alerts Extended as Record June Heatwave Grips England
UK Parliament Faces High-Stakes Week of Spending, Security and Industrial Legislation
UK Repeals Vagrancy Act Ending Criminalisation of Rough Sleeping in England and Wales
GB News Pundit Charged With Fraud Over Alleged Conduct as Former Labour Adviser
Reform UK Gains Parliamentary Visibility in First Senedd Opposition Appearance
Metropolitan Police Arrest Man on Suspicion of Attempted Murder After London Car Incident
Ocado Chief Executive Tim Steiner Faces Scrutiny Over £100 Million Remuneration Package
British Chambers of Commerce Downgrades UK Growth Outlook to 0.9 Percent for 2026
×