Ian Carmichael, who died on 5 February, 2010, aged 88, was an actor who made a career of sending up the British upper classes.

Among his most famous big screen characters were the well-meaning but incompetent Stanley Windrush in the Boulting Brothers satires Private's Progress (1956) and I'm All Right Jack (1959), as well as the hapless title character in Lucky Jim (1957), an adaptation of the Kingsley Amis' novel also by the Boultings.

He also played the archetypal comedy gent, Bertie Wooster, in the BBC series World of Wooster (1965-67), based on the PG Wodehouse Jeeves books.

After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, Carmichael, born in Hull on 18 June, 1920, began his career in serious roles, appearing in thrillers like Betrayed (1954), with Clark Gable and Lana Turner , and The Colditz Story (1955), with John Mills, but comedy proved to be his forté.

Other starring films roles in the genre included Brothers in Law (1957), School for Scoundrels (1960) and The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins (1971). He also starred in the 1970-71 sitcom Bachelor Father.

More recent roles included hospital secretary TJ Middleditch in ITV series The Royal (2003-09).