Yes. Brian Blessed OBE provided the voiceover for television and radio adverts promoting Flash cleaning products in the UK. Procter & Gamble, the brand's owner, cast him because of a pun linking the product name to his iconic role as Prince Vultan in the 1980 science fiction film Flash Gordon. The adverts often featured Queen's theme song from that film, reinforcing the connection.
Blessed has spoken publicly about the enduring legacy of Flash Gordon. In an interview with The Guardian, he said: "The butcher, the baker, the candlestick-maker, queens, prime ministers – everybody who exists wants me to say that line. It's a great celebratory exclamation." He was referring to "GORDON'S ALIVE?!", which became one of British cinema's most quoted lines. This cultural recognition made him an obvious choice for a product called Flash.
What did Brian Blessed advertise for Flash?
Blessed recorded voiceovers for several Flash products, including the Flash Speed Mop. His theatrical delivery style matched the brand's positioning as a powerful, effective cleaner. P&G has a long history of using distinctive voices in Flash campaigns. In the 1960s and 1970s, Scottish actress Molly Weir became the face and voice of the brand in television spots that ran for years.
Blessed was not the only recognisable voice hired for Flash adverts. Comedian and actor Hugh Dennis also provided voiceover work for the brand during different campaign periods.
Brian Blessed’s other voiceover work
The Flash campaign represents a small fraction of Blessed's voiceover portfolio. His distinctive bass voice has been used across multiple industries.
In 2010, a Facebook campaign gathered more than 25,000 supporters demanding that satnav manufacturer TomTom release a Brian Blessed voice pack. The company agreed. Drivers could then receive navigation instructions delivered in his unmistakable booming style. He also partnered with former Doctor Who actor Tom Baker in 2008 for a series of radio adverts promoting TalkTalk broadband.
Children's television has been another major outlet. Since 2004, Blessed has voiced Grampy Rabbit in the animated series Peppa Pig, introducing his voice to an entirely new generation. He has also worked extensively in video games, playing German military engineer Konrad Kyeser in the historical RPG Kingdom Come: Deliverance and voicing the villain Clayton in Disney's Tarzan and its associated games.
His acting career before voiceover fame
Blessed became a household name in the 1960s playing PC 'Fancy' Smith in the BBC police drama Z-Cars. That role launched a career spanning theatre, film and television.
His commanding physical presence suited historical drama. He earned critical acclaim as Emperor Augustus in the 1976 BBC production of I, Claudius, a performance that remains highly regarded. Comedy audiences remember him as the loud, exuberant King Richard IV in the first series of Blackadder in 1983.
Flash Gordon in 1980 gave him international recognition. His portrayal of the winged Prince Vultan, complete with the exclamation "GORDON'S ALIVE?!", became a cultural touchstone that has followed him throughout his career.
Adventurer and explorer
Blessed is also a serious mountaineer. He has attempted to climb Mount Everest three times. During one expedition, he became the oldest man to reach 28,000 feet without supplementary oxygen. He has successfully summited Mount Kilimanjaro and completed 800 hours of space training in Russia, reflecting a genuine commitment to exploration rather than celebrity publicity stunts.
In 2016, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to the arts and to charity. The honour recognised decades of work across multiple disciplines, from classical theatre to children's animation, from mountaineering to voicing cleaning product adverts. His willingness to embrace the Flash campaign, despite his distinguished career, demonstrates the self-awareness and humour that have made him a beloved public figure in the UK.
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