Peter Llewellyn-Jones dies aged 76 as fans pay tribute
Peter LlewellynJones, the ITV and children's TV star best known for playing Mr Grimley on The Riddlers, has died aged 76. The British Deaf Association confirmed his passing and paid tribute to a BSL champion and ally of the Deaf community for over 50 years, calling him a visionary advocate for linguistic rights.
Key Takeaways
- Peter Llewellyn-Jones has died at the age of 76, with his passing confirmed by the British Deaf Association.
- He was best known as Montgomery Lancelot Grimley (Mr Grimley) on ITV's hit children's series The Riddlers, which ran for 224 episodes from 1989 to 1998.
- He also hosted ITV schools programme Our World and early-1980s children's show Insight for Deaf and hard-of-hearing young people, plus BBC's Listening Eye.
- The BDA remembered him as a pioneering advocate for linguistic rights and a strong ally of the Deaf community for more than five decades.
- Former pupils and fans have shared tributes, praising him as an insightful teacher and a wonderful man.
For readers who grew up with teatime puzzles and puppet neighbours, the news lands as a sharp reminder of how lasting those shows remain. Our Nostalgia: Then & Now hub gathers more stories on the stars and series that shaped childhood screens.
Who was Peter Llewellyn-Jones and what happened?
Peter Llewellyn-Jones was a familiar face on British children's television and a long-time champion of British Sign Language. According to Radio Times, the British Deaf Association confirmed his death on 19 August. He was 76.
Beyond the screen, he taught at universities and helped shape higher-education courses for BSL-English interpreters. That dual legacy—popular entertainer and serious advocate—explains why tributes have come from both nostalgic viewers and the Deaf community.
The BDA said it was "deeply saddened by the passing of Peter Llewellyn-Jones, a BSL champion and strong ally of the Deaf community for over 50 years." It described a long association spanning BDA Summer Schools and national Deaf community events, and called him "a visionary leader and pioneering advocate for linguistic rights."
Why did The Riddlers make him a household name?
Llewellyn-Jones became a household name through The Riddlers, the ITV children's favourite that ran between 1989 and 1998. He played Montgomery Lancelot Grimley—better known as Mr Grimley—opposite Victoria Williams as Marjorie Dawe.
The series also featured puppet creatures Mossop and Tiddler, who lived in Marjorie's magic garden. Radio Times reports the show was a huge hit for ITV and ran for 224 episodes across nearly a decade—plenty of time for a generation to grow up with Mr Grimley's gentle presence.
That longevity is why the name peter llewellynjones is resurfacing now in searches and social posts. For many, he is not a distant celebrity but a fixture of after-school viewing, tied to riddles, gardens, and the soft rhythm of late-80s and 90s ITV kids' TV.
He also hosted Our World, an ITV schools programme that ran through the 1980s and 1990s and looked at how children experienced everyday life. That work sat alongside his better-known comedy-fantasy role and showed a presenter comfortable speaking directly to young audiences.
How did he champion British Sign Language on and off screen?
Long before The Riddlers made him widely recognisable, Llewellyn-Jones worked in programming aimed at Deaf and hard-of-hearing children. In the early 1980s he hosted Insight, which produced short stories and sketches for those young viewers. He later worked on its BBC successor, Listening Eye.
Those credits matter because they place him at the intersection of mainstream TV and linguistic access. The BDA emphasised his role in improving communication between Deaf and hearing people—work that stretched from community events to interpreter training in higher education.
In later years he lectured at universities for BSL-English interpreters. Former pupils quoted in coverage called him a lovely and enthralling teacher. One said they always left his class feeling good about themselves; another called him funny and insightful. A further tribute described him as a wonderful man who would be missed "in all circles."
What are fans saying about his legacy?
Heartbroken viewers have mixed personal classroom memories with childhood affection for The Riddlers. One fan recalled loving the show and buying it on video as a child—a small detail that captures how the series travelled beyond live broadcasts into living-room rewatches.
Others focused less on fame and more on character: privilege at having known "PLJ," sadness at the loss, and gratitude for teaching that felt warm rather than remote. Together, the messages sketch a public figure remembered as approachable on screen and generous off it.
That combination is rare. Many children's TV stars are remembered only for a catchphrase or costume. Llewellyn-Jones is being mourned as Mr Grimley and as a decades-long ally of the Deaf community—two strands of the same career rather than separate lives.
As tributes continue, the clearest picture from published reporting is this: a 76-year-old ITV and BBC contributor whose Riddlers fame sat atop half a century of advocacy, teaching, and access work. The shows will keep circulating in memory and clip culture; the BDA's words underline a quieter, lasting impact on linguistic rights.
If you are revisiting 1990s children's television this week, you are not alone. Peter Llewellyn-Jones left a footprint on ITV schedules, schools programming, BSL media, and interpreter education—and that is why the news of his death has reached far beyond a single cast list.