Muffin the Mule was an animated puppet animal character in a British 1946 to 1955 television show for children. The puppet was made in 1933 for Ann Hogarth. The original TV shows featuring the animal character himself were presented by Annette Mills, and broadcast live by the BBC from their studios at Alexandra Palace from autumn 1946 to winter 1954. Mills and the puppet continued with programmes that were broadcast until 1955, when Mills died. The television series then transferred to ITV in 1956 and 1957. A modern animated version of Muffin the Mule aired on the British CBeebies channel between autumn 2005 and early summer 2011 in the UK. The original mule puppet was created in 1933 by Punch and Judy puppet maker Fred Tickner for husband-and-wife puppeteers Jan Bussell and Ann Hogarth to form part of a puppet circus for the Hogarth Puppet Theatre. Typically, Muffin danced on top of a piano as Mills played. Bussell and Hogarth, and later their daughter Sally McNally continued to use Muffin the Mule in their own shows. Muffin was invited to take part in 2021's Children in Need night, and was operated by our President Ronnie Le Drew.