Does anyone know who the voice is for 1471?

It's the same lady who says "the number you have dialled has not been recognised, please check and try again".

To my knowledge, it's been the same voice since 1994, yet despite my continued research, I cannot for life of me find out who it is.

I think it may be the same voice who was on cable, then Telewest. I have often wondered who it is.

Thinking back - i am sure i remember an advert back in the late 90's and i think she was in her late 20's/ early 30's with blonde hair in a bob-cut style...but i cannot remember her name...but i know exactly who you mean though.

It's been over a year and I'm still very curious about this.

My quest may have moved a step forward today when I called HSBC and (I believe) I heard this woman as the automated voice.

It's my mum.

I thought they were electronically generated.

Well there's your answer, It's Frankenstein's Monster.

I definitely remember reading that they recorded a cross section of different ages and genders, and then electronically combined them to come up with a voice that wouldn't be too offensive to anyone, but I don't remember if they then selected the person with the voice most closely resembling this 'average' to record the messages or actually used a computer generated 'average voice'.

IT'S DA COMPOOTAH.

You will find a number for BT Swindon (Head Office and Research) somewhere. Phone them up and ask them.

1471 might be Martlesham and Ipswich

Sorry, I am half cut and on my own this New Years Eve.

My Ring tone is a BT Public Red Telephone Box....it is very loud and scares the hell out of other shoppers when I am on the high st.

Nope. A clear example of the person talking is on the BT Choose to refuse service or 1471 Extra service, its a real person. lol

The same voice is now used on HSBC numbers.

0800 032 1770 - automated

EDIT - oops, already mentioned this here. But it just goes to show how difficult this is to answer.

I also phoned up BT Head Office and they had no idea.

I'm sure (99%) that it is some sort of synthesis/electronic voice.

I'm sure I've read that before. Ergo you probably find the 'rights' to the software or whatever creates it can be sold (in this case, to HSBC)

wow this is an old thread... and when did andy calton get made inactive?

It probably is the same person.

Its part of BT's IVR service what they provide for companies, the same one for BT Business 152 is the same as the DWP helpline.

I heard that when these people die or quit the job they replace them with somone else, thats what happened with the talking clock.

In fact the talking clock on Virgin Media is now different to the BT one, it looks like they have there own.

I'll re-iterate,

I'm 99% sure that it's synthesised or artificial in some shape or form.

Why it is that whenever an old thread gets re-energised, there is always at least one 'Inactive member' who has posted in it?

When I worked for BT we had a contract with RBoS just after Natwest merged with them and they needed a job done where a recording needed to be put on the main Natwest number advising them that the number will be changing.

It was me who got to do the recording. Took about 10 goes though

So in answer to the OP its probably some BT office monkey who picked up the request first

Changing company, what about the female voice on Orange? Is she on Helium?

At a place I used to work, they got some ordinary member of the public to come in and record the voice annunciations for an avionics system. The poor woman had to sit there saying things like "altitude! altitude!" and "terrain - pull up! terrain - pull up!". She looked thoroughly bemused by the whole thing, but did very well. Disappointingly they got a computer to do the whoop whoop noises, I would have loved it if they'd had her going "whoop whoop whoop" Red Dwarf style

I believe the voice is Eleanor Bron.

Is that the same voice?
I'm not certain but from what I remember the error voice is a much harsher sounding woman than the nice 1471 lady.
Who does indeed sound a bit robotic.


Just imagine the mischief that could be done if someone got their hands on that software....mwa haha

..if the person above is still looking in, you're probably correct, and that person is or was an actress at the time. She used to play in local theatre often alongside well known actors from Soaps, on tour and she fits the physical description you state.

She was at Eastbourne doing a drama and I remember reading about it in her mini biography in the shows programme. Unfortunately, I cannot remember her name or whether it said she was the voice of Orange or BT.

Kind of related, my Mum thinks that when the BT callminder voice says 'the caller did not leave a message', she sounds really cross about it!