Fyfe Robertson

Who was Fyfe Robertson?

James Fyfe Robertson was a Scottish television journalist.

Robertson was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He was one of six children of Jane Dunlop and James Robertson, a miner, who became a minister in the United Free Church of Scotland. He grew up in poverty but attended the High School of Glasgow. After briefly studying medicine at Glasgow University, he became a reporter firstly with the Glasgow Herald and later in London with the Daily Herald and Daily Express.

In 1943 Robertson joined Picture Post magazine where he was picture editor and feature writer. His investigative abilities led to a crucial exposé of the Tanganyika groundnut scheme. His report was quoted in the House of Commons.

When Picture Post closed in 1957, he went to work in television. He is chiefly remembered for his association with the BBC programme Tonight. His bearded, haggard face topped by a tweed trilby hat and a slow over-emphatic Scottish voice became well known, which led to parodies on radio comedy shows: firstly by Bill Pertwee on Beyond Our Ken as "Rife Hobertson", and also by Graeme Garden on I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again, who began every item with an alleged Robertson catchphrase "I'm standing here...". For Tonight Robertson travelled widely providing serious stories as well as finding some remarkable eccentrics; he was often described as "our roving reporter".