Roy Hudd was born in Croydon. His father was a carpenter and he attended Tavistock Secondary Modern School in Croydon and Croydon Secondary Technical School. He then worked as a messenger for an advertising agency, a window dresser and a commercial artist working under Harry Beck. In 1958 he took a summer job as a Redcoat at Butlins, Clactonworking alongside Cliff Richard and Dave Allen.

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Hudd first appeared on radio in 1959 on Workers' Playtime. He remains best known for the BBC Radio 2 satirical series The News Huddlines, which ran from 1975 to 2001. His other radio credits include playing Max Quordlepleen, the host at The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, in the original radio series of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1978), Crowned Hudds (1994–95), The Newly Discovered Casebook of Sherlock Holmes (1999-2000) and Like They've Never Been Gone (1999-2002). He has acted in many comedy series and dramas for BBC Radio 4. He appeared on Radio Two for a week in April 2017 choosing the Tracks of my Years on the Ken Bruce Show. Played Mr Manchester in Home Front for BBC Radio 4.

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Hudd broke into television in the mid-1960s in sketch series such as The Illustrated Weekly Hudd and The Roy Hudd Show. His acting roles include the Dennis Potter series Lipstick on Your Collar, for which he received critical praise, and Karaoke. In the mid 1990s he appeared in two series of Common As Muck, a drama about a group of refuse collectors, alongside Edward Woodward. In 2000, Hudd appeared as neighbour Mr. Smedley in one episode of One Foot in the Grave.

From 2002 to 2003 he appeared as the undertaker Archie Shuttleworth in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street and has since returned for occasional guest appearances. He also starred in the ITV drama 'The Quest', alongside Sir David Jason and Hywel Bennett, from 2002-2004. In 2007 he appeared in episodes of New Tricks, Casualty and The Last Detective. In 2010 he appeared in BBC dramas Missing and Ashes to Ashes.

In 2012 he appeared in an episode of the BBC drama Call the Midwife. In 2014 he appeared in episodes of Midsomer Murders, Law & Order: UK and Holby City.

In December 2015 Hudd played Bud Flanagan in the BBC drama We’re Doomed! The Dad’s Army Story, about the creation of the titular long-running sitcom.  In 2016 he appeared in an episode of Benidorm.

Hudd appeared in many pantomime and variety performances. In 1977 he starred as Fagin in the West End revival of Lionel Bart's musical Oliver! at the Albery Theatre. In 1982 he played Bud Flanagan in Underneath the Arches at the Prince of Wales Theatre, for which he won a Society of West End Theatre Award. In 2000 he starred in a musical version of Hard Times at the Theatre Royal Haymarket.In 2008 he played the part of the Wizard in a production of The Wizard of Oz at London's Royal Festival Hall.

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