Bob, as he is known in the industry, is certainly a refreshing change from the current crop of construction cowboys appearing in programmes such as Builders or Dig and Dug. Always well-presented in his checked shirt and blue dungarees (no bum cleavage here), and courteous to a fault, he is a popular and much-respected figure in the local community. And despite a laid-back approach to life and a reputation for forgetfulness, he is never less than 100% professional.
“Of course we get the chance to have fun sometimes on jobs, too,” he laughs. “I think that sort of thing is good for staff morale. Take the time when Travis [Farmer Pickles’ tractor] challenged Scoop to a race. The way the whole team cheered Scoop on was great. Or when they all pretended they’d forgotten my birthday only to spring a surprise party on me. It was fantastic.” Softly spoken and self-effacing, Bob is a reluctant star, saying he is just a regular builder who enjoys his work. You are less likely to find him in London’s trendy Met Bar than at home watching television with his cat Pilchard. In his spare time he enjoys line-dancing (he and Wendy are the local champions) and keeping tropical fish.
“At Bob’s Building Yard we pride ourselves on getting the job done and we’re willing to tackle anything,” he says. “I don’t like to turn clients away. As I always say to my team – can we fix it? Yes we can!” Each member of the team has his or her own role to play, depending on their area of expertise. “I always try to encourage my own machines, even when they are scared of the dark, like Muck, or don’t like heights, like Lofty,” says Bob. And, by capitalising on his staff’s specialist skills, Bob can do the job quickly – although what he gains in speed he loses in efficiency, with a couple of members of the team left behind at the yard on any one day to get in the way of Wendy.
Despite a recent attempt to learn the trumpet after making his own from copper piping left over from a plumbing job, Bob has no plans to follow in the footsteps of Driving School’s Maureen, or rival animated icon Flat Eric, from the Levi’s television advertising campaign, in bringing out a record.
Bob has already won himself a considerable following among the select group of under-fives who have seen previews of his show and love his cheery manner and colourful friends. Meanwhile, the trade is calling him “the television ambassador the building industry has been waiting for” and “what Postman Pat is to the Royal Mail”.
Bob is a very kind-hearted, caring, and hard-working man who enjoys his work and encourages everyone else. He is shown to be a fun-loving and intelligent individual. During a crisis/problem, he is not one to lose focus and often comes up with ideas on how to fix things. He acts as a parental figure to his machines and makes sure to keep them in line. While he is honest and frank about how he feels, Bob is far from being overly strict or stern. Rather, he is shown to be quick to forgive, but also willing to teach and correct. He can at sometimes be forgetful when he tries to remember what jobs to do. Thus, Wendy is there to help his mind kickstart.
Robert “Bob” II, known to his friends as Bob the Builder, is the main character and titular protagonist of the television series of the same name. He is a general contractor with being head of his own construction yard along with his close colleague Wendy. He is based in Bobsville, Sunflower Valley or Fixham Harbour depending on the series.
Bob is from a family of builders – his father Robert is also a builder and so was his Grandfather Billy. Bob wanted to be a builder ever since he was a child. He got a hardhat for Christmas when he was young. The first thing he fixed was Tom’s toy elephant. When he was a teenager, him and his twin brother Tom went out camping in Sunflower Valley. He is assisted by Wendy and a host of five anthropomorphic vehicles in various projects in and around town. In the early episodes he was not good with computers but in newer episodes he used them for construction work designing. Some of the problems in the show arise from Bobs habit of forgetting to turn his mobile phone on. He also is the owner of Pilchard the cat.
Bob is a tan-fair skinned male with small black eyes and a medium sized nose. As a construction worker, he is often shown to be wearing his building clothing which consists of a red and orange patch shirt (which has a collar in Ready, Steady, Build!), faded blue dungarees (which are a darker shade of blue in the first series and in Project: Build It!), brown boots, and a yellow construction workers hat. Around his waist, Bob also carries a tan coloured tool-belt which usually contains a wrench, two screwdrivers, and a hammer, as well as a tape measure from the first to third series. When his hat is removed, he is shown to have brown hair. His hair was longer during his youth.
FAQ
How big is Bob the Builder?
What is Bob the Builder’s full name?
