Subway ‘Mind the Gap’ announcer Sayer dies at 62
LONDON – Millions know his voice. Few knew his name.
Phil Sayer, whose warning to “mind the gap” is heard every day on the London Underground, died at the age of 62.
SayerHamilton, the voiceover company he ran with his wife Elinor Hamilton, said Sayer died Thursday. The BBC reported he suffered from cancer.
Sayer worked as a radio presenter for the BBC in northwest England before moving into voiceover work. His reminder to travelers to mind the gap between the train and the platform is used on several London subway lines.
Other announcers have also recorded the message but Sayer’s version is one of the most widely used.
His voice is also heard on trains and at railway stations around Britain, often apologizing for cancelations and delays.
“I probably apologize more than anybody in the UK,” Sayer told the Daily Telegraph newspaper in 2010.
On its Facebook page Friday, SayerHamilton called Sayer the “voice of reason, radio, and railways. A dearly loved husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend. We are sorry to announce that this service terminates here.”