Frederick Robert Yule (7 October 1893 â 11 December 1982) was an English character actor, comedian, and singer, mainly known for his appearances in post-war BBC Radio programmes such as ITMA, Ray's a Laugh, Band Waggon (1947 era), and The Archers. His distinct voice and versatile performances made him a familiar presence on the British airwaves, where he appeared in numerous episodes of ITMA starting in 1939 and featured in other productions such as Down Mangel Street, Whack-O!, The Men from The Ministry, and Three Men in a Boat.
Born in Norfolk, Yule began his stage career as a singer in pantomime, West End musicals, and music hall. He first broadcast in 1925 as the vocalist with Herman Darewski's orchestra. After that, he became a prolific broadcaster with a wide range, including variety, drama, features, talks, and programmes for young listeners. His voice was well known to a generation of radio listeners as the one that stopped "the mighty roar of London's traffic" at the start of each episode of In Town Tonight. Yule also provided more than one voice in a radio adaptation of Three Men in a Boat by Hubert Gregg. This was repeated, after many years in the archives, on BBC Radio 4 Extra. Yule's sole film appearance was in The Charcoal-Burner's Son (1939).
He was married to the music hall actress Doreen Monte. Yule died in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, on 11 December 1982, aged 89.