Podcast appearances and mentions of John Humphrys

In this episode you join Gyles and Harriet at the Oldie of the Year lunch, where Harriet asks some of the guests at the event for their first memories. Including memories from Radio 4 legend John Humphrys, children's writer Dame Jacqueline Wilson, choreographer Arlene Philips, actress Nanette Newman and 102 year-old skydiver Manette Baillie. Plus some chat from Gyles and Harriet and one of your emails, about synaesthesia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Clive Myrie is an award-winning journalist and news presenter who is one of the BBC's most experienced foreign correspondents. In 2021 he took over from John Humphrys as Question Master of the quiz show Mastermind and has also presented travel programmes about Italy and the Caribbean. Clive's parents are from Jamaica and he was born in Farnworth, near Bolton – one of seven children. As a young boy he had a paper round and one of the perks was reading the leftover newspapers which gave him the opportunity to learn about a world beyond Bolton. He loved watching the news on television and his role models were Alan Whicker and Sir Trevor McDonald who inspired him to become a journalist. After he graduated from university Clive took up a place on the BBC's reporter training scheme and in 1996 he was sent to Japan - his first posting as a foreign correspondent. During his career he has reported from war zones including Afghanistan, Iraq and Ukraine. In 2021 Clive was named Television Journalist of the Year and Network Presenter of the Year at the Royal Television Society Television Journalism Awards.Clive lives in north London with his wife Catherine. DISC ONE: String Quartet No. 14 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 131: VI. Adagio quasi un poco andante. Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven and performed by Kodály Quartet DISC TWO: Welcome to My World - Jim Reeves DISC THREE: Così fan tutte ossia La scuola degli amanti, K.588 / Act 1 - Soave sia il vento. Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and performed by Kiri Te Kanawa (soprano), Ann Murray (mezzo soprano), Ferruccio Furlanetto (bass) and Wiener Philharmoniker DISC FOUR: All Blues - Miles Davis DISC FIVE: Cello Suite No. 5 in C Minor, BWV 1011: I. Prelude. Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach and performed by Paul Tortelier DISC SIX: Slave to the Rhythm - Grace Jones DISC SEVEN: Long, Long Summer - Dizzy Gillespie DISC EIGHT: Stomp! - The Brothers JohnsonBOOK CHOICE: The Metropolitan Museum of Art catalogue LUXURY ITEM: Hot pepper sauce CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Long, Long Summer - Dizzy GillespiePresenter Lauren Laverne Producer Paula McGinley

In this episode Bunny is in the garden with the renowned broadcaster John Humphrys. John has had many notable jobs including being a foreign correspondent and a  diplomatic correspondent for the BBC, presenting the Nine O'Clock News, The Today Programme and Mastermind to name but a few. At present you can find him hosting the Sunday evening Classical Music Show (4-7pm GMT) on Classic FM.  Hear how his garden is chockablock with plants from friends, how the places that he has lived have shaped the way he lives and gardens, hear him eulogise about his homemade compost, and  how he ‘stole' fallen leaves bagged up by the local council. 

Louise Minchin has a wonderful story to tell and she tells it very well. Born in a typhoon in Hong Kong some 55 years ago, one of her earliest memories as a young child is of the water in her bath moving as her tower block shook in gale-force winds! To this day, Louise finds storms exciting…You can also watch/Listen to Louise here: https://vimeo.com/chrisgrimes/louiseminchinHer grandparents had a house at the foot of a mountain in Spain, which she fondly remembers visiting year after year. Louise loved the country, the water to swim in and the language itself. Small wonder she chose to study Spanish at St Andrew's University, where coincidentally Louise also won a scholarship early ‘gap year' in Argentina. Here her Spanish became fluent, if not strictly Castilian. Here Louise also read the iconic novel ‘100 years of Solitude' by Gabriel Garcia Marquez - in its original Spanish! This fortuitous year's experience helped Louise gain a better Degree than her tutors originally expected! Armed with her academic qualifications, Louise joined the BBC as a Production Assistant. Practically speaking, this involved providing early morning alarm-calls for the presenters on the Today Programme on Radio 4 and making tea or coffee for them on their arrival in the Studio. Louise then decided to do a Diploma Course in Journalism. She became a professional writer under the expert guidance of a great mentor by the name of Neil Dunwoody. This, she says, was “life-changing”. Louise's career took off in style: for 20 years she was reading news and then presenting BBC TV's flagship Breakfast Show. She did her last ‘Breakfast' two years ago - but the adventures never stopped. She married successfully and now has two daughters, the first of whom arrived by emergency Caesarean section, followed in dangerously quick succession by acute appendicitis. Louise's real ‘near death' experience means that she no longer ‘sweats the small stuff'. She now describes herself as an ‘Endurance Athlete' and has represented her country in that capacity. Louise is also an accomplished author. Her first book is based on her own personal experience and is entitled ‘Dare To Try.' Her latest book is called ‘Fearless Adventures with Extraordinary Women.' It does what it says on the cover, recording the diverse real life adventures of 18 extraordinary women. Louise invites you to hear her speak about it and buy copies of it for yourself, your family and your friends. She did not work with the one and only John Humphrys without learning to speak your mind. But always with a smile!Tune in next week for more stories of 'Distinction & Genius' from The Good Listening To Show 'Clearing'. If you would like to be my Guest too then you can find out HOW via the different 'series strands' at 'The Good Listening To Show' website. Show Website: https://www.thegoodlisteningtoshow.com You can email me about the Show: chris@secondcurve.uk Twitter thatchrisgrimes LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-grimes-actor-broadcaster-facilitator-coach/ FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/842056403204860 Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW wherever you get your Podcasts :) Thanks for listening!

Matt Hancock fails to win over bereaved families at the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, as they turn their backs on him while another confronts him dressed as the grim reaper. Nish and Coco get to grips with ‘greedflation' as MPs question supermarket bosses about their huge salaries. Plus Coco questions why Labour has an all-white all-male line up of candidates for the upcoming by-elections. And Nish is disheartened by a report that finds cricket is racist, sexist and elitist - the “full fruit machine” of prejudice!We continue ‘Chat Shit Get Banged', our campaign to stop politicians lying, with the help of John Humphrys, former presenter of Radio 4's Today programme. The man once labelled the BBC's ‘Rottweiler in chief' reflects on his 33 years holding politicians to account, including memorable encounters with Boris Johnson and Margaret Thatcher.Also, tales from Glastonbury, and Prigozhin v Putin - how did a hotdog seller build up his own private army? Plus Coco gets a surprise Patreon request.Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukWhatsApp: 07514 644572 (UK) or + 44 7514 644572Twitter: @podsavetheuk Guests:John Humphrys, Classic FM presenter and former presenter of BBC Radio 4's Today programme Audio credits:Uk Covid-19 InquiryParliamentlive.tvSky News

Matthew Bannister on Barry Humphries, best known for his comic creations Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson. We have tributes from Rob Brydon and John Humphrys. Len Goodman, who went from working as a welder to international fame as head judge of Strictly Come Dancing. Professor Elizabeth Murray, a pioneer in the use of digital technology in health care. And Jah Shaka, dub reggae star, producer and sound system king. Interviewee: Rob Brydon Interviewee: John Humphrys Interviewee: Mary Richardson Interviewee: Anne Pender Interviewee: Professor Fiona Stevenson Interviewee: Neil Fraser (also known as music producer Mad Professor) Interviewee: Bryan Gee Producer: Paul Martin Archive used: Dame Edna Everage on Parkinson, BBC One, 1998, uploaded to YouTube 01/07/2017; One More Audience with Dame Edna Everage, ITV, 1988, uploaded to YouTube 22/04/2023; Another Audience With Dame Edna Everage, ITV, 1984, uploaded to YouTube, 01/09/2022; Barry Humphries on Parkinson, BBC One, 1982, uploaded to YouTube. 23/04/2023; Barry Humphries, Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 29/05/2009 Dame Edna Everage on the Today Programme, BBC Radio 4, 18/09/2019; Len Goodman, Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 24/06/2011; Jah Shaka, Junior Brown, Warriors, Reggae Records Archives, YouTube uploaded 26/09/2022; Jah Shaka sound system live London, (Tape Edit)YouTube uploaded 15/10/2022;

Kathy Clugston dives into the GQT archives for advice on how to deal with pests and diseases. Past panels share their knowledge on everything from how to get rid of slugs, snails and sciarid flies to whether you should keep your dog from cocking its leg on a privet hedge. In classic GQT style, there's plenty of disagreement about what a pest is or isn't. And almost 40 years ago, John Humphrys asked if the panel could imagine a move away from using chemicals in gardening. The prophecy that organic gardening would become favourable was, in fact, very accurate. Also on the programme, in honour of National Plant Health week in May 2022, Pippa Greenwood visited the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew to see their 'Quarantine Unit'. Producer: Dominic Tyerman Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod Executive Producer: Louisa Field A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

About 25 years ago, I was giving a speech at my father's 65th birthday party. There were seventy or eighty people at the dinner and, as Dad was a playwright, most of them were theatricals.I'm a comedian, it was a fun occasion, so I wanted the speech to be funny. There were a few entertainment VIPs in the room, so there were professional as well as personal reasons to make sure my speech was as good as possible. But it was also a very personal occasion - a landmark in my dad's life - so there was no way I was going to crowbar in bits from my act. I wanted the speech to be special: I love my Dad very much and I wanted to say so publicly. But I also didn't want the speech to descend into an embarrassing, gushing, sentimental affair. It was by no means the hardest speech I've ever had to give, but there was still a balance that I had to get right, and I felt a bit of pressure because there were so many professional performers in the room who were way more experienced than me.As I was speaking, and I guess I was feeling a little nervous, I noticed someone looking at me. Of course, the whole room was looking at me, but this was the only person I noticed. He had friendly blue eyes, narrowed in a frown of intense concentration, and he seemed deeply interested in what I had to say, and very sympathetic to the difficulties I was having making such a speech. I don't know if I was projecting my own imagination, but there was a wise, kindly look to him. I'd never noticed anybody listen like that before.It was a few moments before I realised it was the actor, Timothy West. Thinking about it later, it made sense to me why Timothy West had been such a popular actor with his peers. He listened so well. In a room of eighty people all doing the same thing– his was the listening I noticed.(Any aspiring actors reading this: work on your listening. It's a crucial, yet underrated skill and one that is rarely taught. Teaching is concentrated around the bits when you are doing the talking. Watch what wonderful listeners many great actors are.)Fast forward a couple of years and I was doing a set on the Radio 4 show, Loose Ends. This was around 1999 and, in those days, the show was recorded live, but the only audience you would have were the four or five other guests on the show who would be sitting in the studio with you, along with the host, Ned Sherrin. You got some real VIPs on that show - I used to do it quite a bit. Off the top of my head, I remember appearing with Jackie Collins, Danni Minogue, Divine Comedy, Mariella Frostrup, Sir Humphrey Burton, The Proclaimers, and many more besides. But most of them would be thinking about their own bits, so doing comedy in that little studio to four or five people who weren't that interested could be a bit like doing comedy into the void. Comedy is hard without an audience - even if by the time it made it out of the radio, it seemed to work. I think it was the first time I had done the show, so I was nervous. There I was, doing my Ludwig The Bavarian act, all dressed up in my lederhosen costume, with all sorts of nerves rushing through my head as I did my act to no audience, when there it was again. The look. The kindly, listening, I-know-what-you're-going-through-and-I'm-on-your-side look. This time it was Michael Parkinson, one of the guests on the show. While all the other guests, and, to an extent, Ned, were wrapped up in their own stuff, Parkinson took time out to listen to me. Straight away I understood why he had been such a successful chat show host.Thank you for reading The Flying Frisby. This post is public so feel free to share it.The Today ProgrammeWe move on over ten years to 2012 and my first book, Life After the State, which, as the title suggests, makes the case for a lot less government in our lives. On the day it was published I was invited onto Radio 4's Today programme to talk about the role of the state. My publisher, Dan Kieran of Unbound, told me 'getting on the Today programme is the Holy Grail for an author. You're very lucky. You're on at the best time, peak listening time, just before 9. Everybody will be listening. The prime minister will be listening.”To say I was nervous is an understatement. 'This is the Today programme,' I told myself. 'For really clever people. It's not for comedians who've decided they want to write about economics. It's the BBC, the Ministry of Media. The last thing they'll suffer is some non-economist comedian calling for a smaller state. You are so going to be found out.'In the Green Room beforehand, I could barely speak. 'Would you like a cup of coffee?' 'Oh, no thanks. Actually, yes please. Er no, no. Actually, yes. Erm, not sure.' ‘I'm sorry?'I was to be interviewed by James Naughtie and there was a nice chap by the name of Neal Lawson from left-wing think tank, Compass, who would take the opposing side of the debate. There were various other people in the studio, all deep in notes and preparation for their next slot. None of them looked up as we came in. If I had my life again I'd answer one key question about collectivism differently - and I still get cross with myself about it - but overall I guess I did ok. However, mid-interview, while I was talking, I could feel somebody looking at me. I looked to my left, away from the people I was talking to, Naughtie and Lawson, and there, staring at me intently, was John Humphrys. He'd looked up from me his notes and, with his eyes narrowed slightly, now seemed to be deeply interested in what I was saying, even though he was nothing to do with this segment. His listening carried that same mixture of interest, intense focus, kindness and understanding that Timothy West's did all those years ago.Just as with West, I felt I gained some understanding as to why John Humphrys has been so successful in his extremely competitive profession.Afterwards I went and gave him a copy of the book.“Have a read and see what you think,” I said. “But I doubt you'll be on board with all this anti-state stuff.”“You'd be surprised,” he replied.Keynote FarageJust a few months later I was speaking about gold at an investor's show. Tom Winnifrith, the organizer, had managed to get Nigel Farage as his keynote speaker. This was years before the Brexit vote, but, thanks to the internet, his speeches at the EU Parliament were already starting to go viral.Afterwards, he and I sat down and started talking. All sorts of people were bombarding him for photos and signatures, and he was very gracious to everybody who pestered him, but at the same time he managed to convey the impression that he was really interested in talking to me. And, as I talked, there was that same look again – eyes narrowed slightly, kind, wise, interested, focused on you and you alone.If you say the names John Humphrys or Nigel Farage, kindness is not the first word that springs to mind with either. But that was what I saw. Nor is Farage known as great listener, but my experience was that he is. I'm sure it's his listening to people as he travelled up and down the country that made him so popular at grass roots level and helped him build such a following.Farage in person, as his GB News show, especially Talking Pints, is proving, is a far cry from the monster many of his opponents, especially the Centrist Trots who write for the Guardian, have made him out to be. My dinner with Jordan PetersonA few days ago I was lucky enough to be invited to dinner with Jordan Peterson. It's funny. Peterson is one of the biggest stars on the internet. He is adored by so many yet there are still quite a few people who have no idea who he is. My manager thought I was going to dinner with Jordan Henderson.Andrews Doyle and Shaw, the organisers of Comedy Unleashed, comedian Simon Evans and author Jeremy Hildreth were there as well as Peterson's minder (who took the photo below).It was amazing how quickly we got through the niceties and moved on to the interesting stuff. Within a few minutes of sitting down, we were talking about lucid dreams - these are dreams that you know are dreams while you dream them.I had a lucid dream last year, in which I met my father (who died in 2020) at a house party and, in the kitchen, started updating him on the progress I had made with Kisses on a Postcard, the new songs I'd written, the edits and so on. After a while I said, “This is a dream, isn't it?” Dad smiled and nodded.So I mentioned at the table that I had had this lucid dream last year in which I had had this conversation with my dead father. Peterson's head flashed round and he looked at me as I spoke. And there was that look again. That same Timothy West, Michael Parkinson, John Humphrys, Nigel Farage, slightly squinting, focused look of kindness, sympathy, empathy and genuine interest.Never mind how articulate he is, I'll bet one reason Peterson is so popular is because he listens. In fact, one reason he is so articulate is because he listens. He replies to what people actually say, rather than what he thinks they've said, and that centres him in the moment and thus in the truth.So there we are: people who have the look. What's the moral of all this? Listen, I guess. Don't talk. Listen.ADDENDUMI saw just how popular and loved Jordan Peterson was only an hour or two later. Over dinner somebody suggested that he do a set at Comedy Unleashed later that evening, and he agreed to read a comic poem he'd written. I was MCing, and I introduced him as the open spot, saying something like “we like to bring on new talent at Comedy Unleashed, so we give people short spots and if they're any good, they can progress to a full spot, please welcome Jordan Peterson”. The audience at first couldn't believe what they had heard. Then, as he came to the stage, they rose to their feet and gave him a standing ovation.I might have ended up compering what may be Jordan Peterson's only ever comedy spot. Thank you for reading The Flying Frisby. This post is public so feel free to share it.If you are in London on September 28 or 29, my lecture with funny bits, How Heavy?, about the history of weights and measures is coming to the Museum of Comedy. It's a 7-8pm show so you can come along and go out for dinner after. The lecture will give your evening a strong intellectual foundation. You can buy tickets here. This is a very interesting subject - effectively how you perceive the world. Hope to see you there.The Flying Frisby is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.theflyingfrisby.com/subscribe

About 25 years ago, I was giving a speech at my father's 65th birthday party. There were seventy or eighty people at the dinner and, as Dad was a playwright, most of them were theatricals.I'm a comedian, it was a fun occasion, so I wanted the speech to be funny. There were a few entertainment VIPs in the room, so there were professional as well as personal reasons to make sure my speech was as good as possible. But it was also a very personal occasion - a landmark in my dad's life - so there was no way I was going to crowbar in bits from my act. I wanted the speech to be special: I love my Dad very much and I wanted to say so publicly. But I also didn't want the speech to descend into an embarrassing, gushing, sentimental affair. It was by no means the hardest speech I've ever had to give, but there was still a balance that I had to get right, and I felt a bit of pressure because there were so many professional performers in the room who were way more experienced than me.As I was speaking, and I guess I was feeling a little nervous, I noticed someone looking at me. Of course, the whole room was looking at me, but this was the only person I noticed. He had friendly blue eyes, narrowed in a frown of intense concentration, and he seemed deeply interested in what I had to say, and very sympathetic to the difficulties I was having making such a speech. I don't know if I was projecting my own imagination, but there was a wise, kindly look to him. I'd never noticed anybody listen like that before.It was a few moments before I realised it was the actor, Timothy West. Thinking about it later, it made sense to me why Timothy West had been such a popular actor with his peers. He listened so well. In a room of eighty people all doing the same thing– his was the listening I noticed.(Any aspiring actors reading this: work on your listening. It's a crucial, yet underrated skill and one that is rarely taught. Teaching is concentrated around the bits when you are doing the talking. Watch what wonderful listeners many great actors are.)Fast forward a couple of years and I was doing a set on the Radio 4 show, Loose Ends. This was around 1999 and, in those days, the show was recorded live, but the only audience you would have were the four or five other guests on the show who would be sitting in the studio with you, along with the host, Ned Sherrin. You got some real VIPs on that show - I used to do it quite a bit. Off the top of my head, I remember appearing with Jackie Collins, Danni Minogue, Divine Comedy, Mariella Frostrup, Sir Humphrey Burton, The Proclaimers, and many more besides. But most of them would be thinking about their own bits, so doing comedy in that little studio to four or five people who weren't that interested could be a bit like doing comedy into the void. Comedy is hard without an audience - even if by the time it made it out of the radio, it seemed to work. I think it was the first time I had done the show, so I was nervous. There I was, doing my Ludwig The Bavarian act, all dressed up in my lederhosen costume, with all sorts of nerves rushing through my head as I did my act to no audience, when there it was again. The look. The kindly, listening, I-know-what-you're-going-through-and-I'm-on-your-side look. This time it was Michael Parkinson, one of the guests on the show. While all the other guests, and, to an extent, Ned, were wrapped up in their own stuff, Parkinson took time out to listen to me. Straight away I understood why he had been such a successful chat show host.Thank you for reading The Flying Frisby. This post is public so feel free to share it.The Today ProgrammeWe move on over ten years to 2012 and my first book, Life After the State, which, as the title suggests, makes the case for a lot less government in our lives. On the day it was published I was invited onto Radio 4's Today programme to talk about the role of the state. My publisher, Dan Kieran of Unbound, told me 'getting on the Today programme is the Holy Grail for an author. You're very lucky. You're on at the best time, peak listening time, just before 9. Everybody will be listening. The prime minister will be listening.”To say I was nervous is an understatement. 'This is the Today programme,' I told myself. 'For really clever people. It's not for comedians who've decided they want to write about economics. It's the BBC, the Ministry of Media. The last thing they'll suffer is some non-economist comedian calling for a smaller state. You are so going to be found out.'In the Green Room beforehand, I could barely speak. 'Would you like a cup of coffee?' 'Oh, no thanks. Actually, yes please. Er no, no. Actually, yes. Erm, not sure.' ‘I'm sorry?'I was to be interviewed by James Naughtie and there was a nice chap by the name of Neal Lawson from left-wing think tank, Compass, who would take the opposing side of the debate. There were various other people in the studio, all deep in notes and preparation for their next slot. None of them looked up as we came in. If I had my life again I'd answer one key question about collectivism differently - and I still get cross with myself about it - but overall I guess I did ok. However, mid-interview, while I was talking, I could feel somebody looking at me. I looked to my left, away from the people I was talking to, Naughtie and Lawson, and there, staring at me intently, was John Humphrys. He'd looked up from me his notes and, with his eyes narrowed slightly, now seemed to be deeply interested in what I was saying, even though he was nothing to do with this segment. His listening carried that same mixture of interest, intense focus, kindness and understanding that Timothy West's did all those years ago.Just as with West, I felt I gained some understanding as to why John Humphrys has been so successful in his extremely competitive profession.Afterwards I went and gave him a copy of the book.“Have a read and see what you think,” I said. “But I doubt you'll be on board with all this anti-state stuff.”“You'd be surprised,” he replied.Keynote FarageJust a few months later I was speaking about gold at an investor's show. Tom Winnifrith, the organizer, had managed to get Nigel Farage as his keynote speaker. This was years before the Brexit vote, but, thanks to the internet, his speeches at the EU Parliament were already starting to go viral.Afterwards, he and I sat down and started talking. All sorts of people were bombarding him for photos and signatures, and he was very gracious to everybody who pestered him, but at the same time he managed to convey the impression that he was really interested in talking to me. And, as I talked, there was that same look again – eyes narrowed slightly, kind, wise, interested, focused on you and you alone.If you say the names John Humphrys or Nigel Farage, kindness is not the first word that springs to mind with either. But that was what I saw. Nor is Farage known as great listener, but my experience was that he is. I'm sure it's his listening to people as he travelled up and down the country that made him so popular at grass roots level and helped him build such a following.Farage in person, as his GB News show, especially Talking Pints, is proving, is a far cry from the monster many of his opponents, especially the Centrist Trots who write for the Guardian, have made him out to be. My dinner with Jordan PetersonA few days ago I was lucky enough to be invited to dinner with Jordan Peterson. It's funny. Peterson is one of the biggest stars on the internet. He is adored by so many yet there are still quite a few people who have no idea who he is. My manager thought I was going to dinner with Jordan Henderson.Andrews Doyle and Shaw, the organisers of Comedy Unleashed, comedian Simon Evans and author Jeremy Hildreth were there as well as Peterson's minder (who took the photo below).It was amazing how quickly we got through the niceties and moved on to the interesting stuff. Within a few minutes of sitting down, we were talking about lucid dreams - these are dreams that you know are dreams while you dream them.I had a lucid dream last year, in which I met my father (who died in 2020) at a house party and, in the kitchen, started updating him on the progress I had made with Kisses on a Postcard, the new songs I'd written, the edits and so on. After a while I said, “This is a dream, isn't it?” Dad smiled and nodded.So I mentioned at the table that I had had this lucid dream last year in which I had had this conversation with my dead father. Peterson's head flashed round and he looked at me as I spoke. And there was that look again. That same Timothy West, Michael Parkinson, John Humphrys, Nigel Farage, slightly squinting, focused look of kindness, sympathy, empathy and genuine interest.Never mind how articulate he is, I'll bet one reason Peterson is so popular is because he listens. In fact, one reason he is so articulate is because he listens. He replies to what people actually say, rather than what he thinks they've said, and that centres him in the moment and thus in the truth.So there we are: people who have the look. What's the moral of all this? Listen, I guess. Don't talk. Listen.ADDENDUMI saw just how popular and loved Jordan Peterson was only an hour or two later. Over dinner somebody suggested that he do a set at Comedy Unleashed later that evening, and he agreed to read a comic poem he'd written. I was MCing, and I introduced him as the open spot, saying something like “we like to bring on new talent at Comedy Unleashed, so we give people short spots and if they're any good, they can progress to a full spot, please welcome Jordan Peterson”. The audience at first couldn't believe what they had heard. Then, as he came to the stage, they rose to their feet and gave him a standing ovation.I might have ended up compering what may be Jordan Peterson's only ever comedy spot. Thank you for reading The Flying Frisby. This post is public so feel free to share it.If you are in London on September 28 or 29, my lecture with funny bits, How Heavy?, about the history of weights and measures is coming to the Museum of Comedy. It's a 7-8pm show so you can come along and go out for dinner after. The lecture will give your evening a strong intellectual foundation. You can buy tickets here. This is a very interesting subject - effectively how you perceive the world. Hope to see you there.The Flying Frisby is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit frisby.substack.com/subscribe

Looks Unfamiliar is a podcast in which writer and occasional broadcaster Tim Worthington talks to a guest about some of the things that they remember that nobody else ever seems to.Joining Tim this time is quiz expert David Smith, who's trying to recharge the remembering batteries for Have I Got Unbroadcastable News For You, Stranger In This Town by Richie Sambora, 28 Acts In 28 Minutes, the soundtrack from Billy Connolly's World Tour Of Australia, the Sega Game Gear, Grand Theft Auto Vice City Official Soundtrack Box Set, Police Squad!, Bart Simpson's Guide To Life and Duck Tales The Movie - Treasure Of The Lost Lamp. Along the way we'll be finding out how to spot anyone doing the Have I Got News For You Walk Of Shame, querying the dictionary definition of 'Didactogreekophobia', revealing why Davro's Sketch Pad is official Star Wars canon, and debating how to react if you order John Sergeant and get sent John Humphrys by mistake instead.You can find more editions of Looks Unfamiliar at http://timworthington.org/.If you enjoy Looks Unfamiliar, you can help to support the show by buying us a coffee here. At least it'll be easier to carry around than a Sega Game Gear.

Matt Chorley charts the rise and fall of Sunday political TV shows with Sunday shows at 50. Last week, we heard about the rise of Andrew Marr and his decision to leave Sunday mornings. It's the last episode of the documentary series. Matt speaks to the new kid on the Sunday politics block, Sophy Ridge on Sky News, and we hear from Trevor Phillips on confronting ministers over the death of his daughter. PLUS the future of Sunday Shows with Tony Blair, Jeremy Vine and John Humphrys and more. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley charts the rise and fall of the Sunday political TV shows with Sunday Shows at 50. Last week, we looked at the birth of Weekend World and this week, we look at how David Frost dominated the Sunday shows for over a decade. Interviewees including his son Wilfred Frost, his editor Barney Jones, Trevor Phillips, Peter Mandelson, Chris Evans, politicians including Neil Kinnock, Tony Blair, and William Hague, and prominent journalists Jeremy Vine and John Humphrys. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley charts the rise and fall of the Sunday political TV show, starting by going behind-the-scenes of the heavyweight, sometimes heavy-going, Weekend World which launched in 1972. The brainchild of John Birt, it was fronted first by Peter Jay, then later the formidable former Labour MP Brian Walden, and then finally former Conservative MP Matthew Parris. From Walden's complex interviewing format, to a relaunch which cost Parris his wonky teeth, this is the story of a show which made political and journalistic careers. Interviewees including Peter Jay, former Times economics editor and first Weekend World presenter; Matthew Parris, Weekend World's last presenter; producers David Aaronovitch, Trevor Phillips and Peter Mandelson, politicians including Neil Kinnock, Tony Blair, and William Hague, and prominent journalists Jeremy Vine and John Humphrys. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley charts the rise and fall of Sunday political TV shows with Sunday shows at 50. Last week we heard how David Frost came to dominate Sunday breakfast time, now the tale of how Jonathan Dimbleby, John Humphrys and a crocodile had politicians for lunch. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley charts the rise and fall of Sunday political TV shows with Sunday shows at 50. Last week, we heard about the rise of Andrew Marr and his decision to leave Sunday mornings. It's the last episode of the documentary series. Matt speaks to the new kid on the Sunday politics block, Sophy Ridge on Sky News, and we hear from Trevor Phillips on confronting ministers over the death of his daughter. PLUS the future of Sunday Shows with Tony Blair, Jeremy Vine and John Humphrys and more. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley charts the rise and fall of Sunday political TV shows with Sunday shows at 50. Last week we heard how David Frost came to dominate Sunday breakfast time, now the tale of how Jonathan Dimbleby, John Humphrys and a crocodile had politicians for lunch. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley charts the rise and fall of the Sunday political TV shows with Sunday Shows at 50. Last week, we looked at the birth of Weekend World and this week, we look at how David Frost dominated the Sunday shows for over a decade. Interviewees including his son Wilfred Frost, his editor Barney Jones, Trevor Phillips, Peter Mandelson, Chris Evans, politicians including Neil Kinnock, Tony Blair, and William Hague, and prominent journalists Jeremy Vine and John Humphrys. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley charts the rise and fall of the Sunday political TV show, starting by going behind-the-scenes of the heavyweight, sometimes heavy-going, Weekend World which launched in 1972. The brainchild of John Birt, it was fronted first by Peter Jay, then later the formidable former Labour MP Brian Walden, and then finally former Conservative MP Matthew Parris. From Walden's complex interviewing format, to a relaunch which cost Parris his wonky teeth, this is the story of a show which made political and journalistic careers.Interviewees including Peter Jay, former Times economics editor and first Weekend World presenter; Matthew Parris, Weekend World's last presenter; producers David Aaronovitch, Trevor Phillips and Peter Mandelson, politicians including Neil Kinnock, Tony Blair, and William Hague, and prominent journalists Jeremy Vine and John Humphrys. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Matt Chorley looks at the impact of the past year on political attitudes with Sir John Curtice and Gillian Prior from National Centre for Social Research.Veteran broadcaster John Humphrys recalls the Aberfan disaster, 55 years on.PLUS India Knight and James Marriott on wasting your twenties, and not reading bad books See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

*Explicit warning* Show notes for Episode 18 Here are the show notes for Episode 18 - our first birthday episode! - where Jacky, Dan, Lisa and Matthew talk about: ‘So' and why it annoys language pedants and prescriptivists. Language discourses around two texts discussing ‘so'. And we talk to Dr Emma Byrne, author of ‘Swearing Is Good For You: the amazing science of bad language' about...swearing. Obvs. Emma Byrne's Swearing is Good for You page: Swearing is Good for You – Emma Byrne, Science Writer and Broadcaster Emma Byrne in The Guardian: Swear by it: why bad language is good for you | Emma Byrne Emma Byrne in Time Magazine: The Benefits of Swearing Emma Byrne in Elle: There's a Swearing Double Standard—and Women Can Change It - Emma Byrne on Gendered Perception of Swearing Broca's area in the brain: The Broca Area and Language Production Wernicke's area in the brain: WikiPedia: Wernicke's area Sophie Scott on Why we Laugh Sophie Scott: Why we laugh | TED Talk Sophie Scott on Why do Humans Laugh Why do humans laugh? So Alec Marsh in The Spectator on ‘so' The remorseless rise of 'so' Lane Greene has responded on Twitter: https://twitter.com/lanegreene/status/1392805484768468993 He links to this https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/so-and-so-that-coordinating-or-subordinating-conjunctions?page=1 And there's already been several peeve fests about ‘so' over the years: So Here's Why Everyone Is Starting Sentences With The Word 'So' How A Popular Two-Letter Word Is Undermining Your Credibility So Shoot Me – Frank McNally on the sentence-opener of the century (so far) Today presenter John Humphrys declare war on the use of the word 'so' So, here's a carefully packaged sentence that shows me in my best light | Oliver James And this is a good piece on it: https://www.npr.org/2015/09/03/432732859/so-whats-the-big-deal-with-starting-a-sentence-with-so?t=1620925294688 In defence of the word 'so' - a much better take on ‘so' from Elizabeth East. Contact us @LexisPodcast. Subscribe: Lexis Podcast | Podcast on Spotify Contributors Matthew Butler Twitter: https://twitter.com/Matthewbutlerwy Lisa Casey blog: https://livingthroughlanguage.wordpress.com/ & Twitter: Language Debates (@LanguageDebates) Dan Clayton blog: EngLangBlog & Twitter: EngLangBlog (@EngLangBlog) Jacky Glancey Twitter: https://twitter.com/JackyGlancey Music: Freenotes

Do you consider yourself a runner, a jogger or a plodder? In this episode of RunPod, the guest is adamant he's a plodder! He also fully expected to have exhausted all running chat in approximately 5 minutes, then surprised himself by enthusing about the feelgood of running for a good 40 minutes. Journalist, quiz show host and former presenter of the ‘Today' show, John Humphrys, is known for asking questions, yet for a change, here you hear him answer them. John's been running for almost 50 years and started whilst in Washington DC reporting on the Watergate scandal. Despite his reluctance to admit he truly loves running, he gives a passionate account of exactly what he enjoys about it. He represents anyone who believes they're ‘not really a runner'....but soon realises that actually, perhaps they really are! A great listen with the longtime Mastermind quizmaster. In this episode his specialized subject is running. Enjoy.

Andrew was born in 1984.   At the age of four, in April 1989, he was diagnosed with autism. “Go home and watch Rain Man,” the specialist told his mother. “In all probability your son will be institutionalised.” Determined to prove the specialist wrong, his mother, Hazel Davies, set out to give her son the best life possible. Raised in a single parent household and encountering bureaucracy, bullying and a lack of understanding from many he came across,  Andrew emerged from a turbulent childhood to win a Welsh National Young Volunteer Award and secure his dream job as a Broadcast Statistician at Manchester United Television.After leaving MUTV after eleven and a half years in April 2014, he secured a book deal with Bennion Kearny Publishing to write his memoir entitled “I've Got a Stat for You - My Life with Autism”. This was following an interview on his life with Welsh broadcaster John Humphrys on BBC Radio Four's flagship Today Programme.Andrew talks about his experiences including his time watching, following and playing cricket at Chirk Cricket Club.Sadly, Andrew's mother passed away shortly before Christmas 2020.  This episode is dedicated to her memory.

'Red list' arrivals: Hotels rebel over 'open-ended' quarantine into summer | Q&A: How system will work and what new rules mean for holidays | Politics liveblog: UK arrivals face mandatory tests - latest updates | Impeachment trial: Trump's tweets to be used as evidence against him | Rosa Prince analysis: Trump's real problems are awaiting him in New York | England thrash India: Tourists wrap up big win in Chennai | Storm Darcy: Weather warnings as snow to bring fresh travel chaos | Mastermind: Favourite to replace John Humphrys on BBC show revealed | Palace or pig sty: Does your place pass the Princess Anne posh test? | Read all these articles with a Telegraph subscription. Try a free one-month trial - then save 50pc on your first three months. Sign up here.

Richard Coles and Shaun Keaveny are joined by Kirstie Allsopp - she has been in our living rooms, stepping into other people’s living rooms, and generally exploring their houses, for 20 years via TV's Location, Location, Location. She’s also embraced the nation’s obsession with crafts with programmes such as Kirstie's Homemade Home, Kirstie's Homemade Christmas, and most recently Keep Crafting and Carry on. She joins us. We also have Paul O’Grady, first known to us as Lily Savage, comedian from Birkenhead, dog lover, small holding owner, national treasure. And Esther Safran Foer, the daughter of a holocaust survivor who returned to Ukraine to meet the family who saved her father's life. And Kelly Smith, MBE, who holds the record for being the top scorer for England women with 46 goals in 117 appearances. She fought against prejudice but went on to play for England, Arsenal and in the US and since her retirement in 2017, has been a commentator and pundit on both the women’s and men’s games. There are the Inheritance tracks of Radio 4 favourite John Humphrys - he chooses Mary's Boy Child performed by Harry Belafonte and Take the A Train performed by Duke Ellington, and your "thank you"! Producer: Corinna Jones Editor: Eleanor Garland

Henry Belafonte singing Mary’s Boy Child and Take the A Train performed by Duke Ellington

This week's podcast features Patrick in conversation with journalist and broadcaster John Humphrys. Patrick and John have known each other for more than 30 years, initially through John's involvement with organic dairy farming in West Wales, during which time they have had an ongoing dialogue, both public and private, about the need for changing our food systems and the reasons why it isn't happening fast enough. Themes explored during the conversation include – why John believes only a catastrophe will provide enough motivation to persuade people to pay more for sustainable food, how well the supermarkets have performed during the Covid emergency, where John Humphrys does his food shopping, why policy makers are unlikely to introduce the polluter pays principle. Over the course of the conversation they debate whether the sustainable food movement has been successful along with how the food system has coped with coronavirus and what it will take for people to question where their food comes from more rigorously.

John Humphrys was the voice of Radio 4’s Today programme for over three decades. Written to coincide with his retirement from the BBC, his memoir, A Day Like Today, brings all of Humphrys’ formidable intellect and insight to bear on the state of politics and current affairs in the United Kingdom. Charting John's life from his Cardiff childhood, through to the ups and downs of his life as a journalist covering Watergate and apartheid South Africa, his time presenting the BBC Nine O'Clock News, and his 33 years holding politicians to account on Radio 4's Today, it is a riveting insight into his famously tough interviewing style, his deep suspicion of authority in all its forms, his passionate commitment to various causes, and his ferocious intellect. Humphrys was recently a guest presenter on Classic FM’s More Music Breakfast show. Recorded live at The Tabernacle in London on 18th November 2019. 5x15 brings together five outstanding individuals to tell of their lives, passions and inspirations. There are only two rules - no scripts and only 15 minutes each. Learn more about 5x15 events: www.5x15stories.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/5x15stories Facebook: www.facebook.com/5x15stories Instagram: www.instagram.com/5x15stories

After 49 years as a Conservative MP, Ken Clarke will be stepping down at the UK general election on December 12. In this episode of the Intelligence Squared podcast – staged just ten days before the election – Clarke came to the Intelligence Squared stage where, in conversation with John Humphrys, who recently stepped down as presenter of Radio 4’s Today programme, he reflected on his many years in politics and the twists and turns of the Brexit saga that have brought him to the curious position he is in today. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

 Shazia and John with guest John Humphrys.

He rose from humble but determined roots in Wales to become one of the leading radio journalists of his generation. In this hour of ‘Radio Moments – Conversations’, John Humphrys opens up about his life, resulting more in an encyclopaedia of World history rather than of media. He tells of his early days in press, where he not only wrote stories, he delivered the newspapers.  Spurning a job at the Times – he moved to television where he was to be the first reporter on the scene at the Aberfan disaster in 1966 – an experience which he confesses had a ‘profound effect’ on him. His early days at the BBC took him to the US and to South Africa at momentous periods in the history of those countries, before returning home to be one of the first TV newsreaders to assemble his own bulletins on the BBC Nine O' Clock News. Without hesitation, John accepted a role on the Today programme where he was to spend 33 years. He tells here of his approach to interviewing and of the Prime Minister he found most daunting – and opens up about his huge suspicion of authority - and his nervousness. In his own words, this is the John Humphrys story. Hear the whole ‘Radio Moments Conversations’ series here (https://podfollow.com/radiomoments-conversations) – and sign up for the regular podcast for this ongoing series. Music by Larry Bryant (http://www.larrybryant.com/) . John’s ‘A Day Like Today’ (https://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Today-Files/dp/0007415591/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=) is out now – published by Collins

“You silver-tongued Lothario” said Moira Stuart at the end of a bulletin as she bantered with  the man she’d last worked with 35 years prior. 28th October 2019 saw John Humphrys make his debut on Classic FM, filling in for a week on the ‘More Music Breakfast', normally hosted by Tim Lihoreau. John observed he was the ‘new kid on the block’ – ‘new to presenting a programme like this on a station like this’. ‘Beethoven and Brahms instead of Brexit’. Maybe the most similar environment was his delightful interview on Essential Classics on Radio 3. To say he is a pro would be an understatement.  John was born to do radio like this, just as he was destined for his news work. He fitted the gig like a hand into a glove, and it was truly inspired casting by Global. John slipped naturally into the typical presenter gig of announcing music and chatting about nothing in particular – but every presenter knows, actually, how difficult that effortless chat to no-one really is. Anecdotes flowed naturally, from a TV columnist’s view of the Attenborough programme to gifted story-telling of how he felt when sitting watching his son play his first solo performance as cellist. How oddly amusing to hear him talk around ad breaks - and read out text numbers and messages. John has a voice to die for, and his fruity tones shake the loudspeakers in a way not witnessed since Wogan - caressing every syllable of every word. Here was a presenter of Ray Moore calibre and a sort of radio which has a real place in the UK market. “It’s been a pleasure”, he said with true feeling as the programme closed. It was the same to listen to. This is what I always imagined him doing, and I’m so glad he has.  Well done, John - and well done, Global for another class move. 

In this week’s episode, Emma Park is joined by Chris Sloggett and Helen Nicholls to discuss whether BBC Radio 4’s Thought for the Day should still be exclusively for “speakers from the world’s major faiths”. John Humphrys, former presenter of the Today programme in which Thought for the Day is featured, recently criticised it as ‘discriminatory’. Emma also speaks to Stephen Evans and Alastair Lichten about a consultation on the reform of sex and religious education launched by the Welsh government this month. Proposals include making both subjects compulsory for all children regardless of their parents’ beliefs; and changing their names, with sex education being replaced by ‘Relationships and Sexuality Education’, and RE by ‘Religions and Worldviews’. Follow Emma on Twitter: @DrEmmaPark Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6Z_Gey3ht8&feature=youtu.be Transcripts: https://www.secularism.org.uk/transcripts Notes Reform Thought for the Day: the NSS’s position https://www.secularism.org.uk/thought-for-the-day/ Thought for the Day – BBC Radio 4 https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00szxv6 John Humphrys criticises Thought for the Day https://www.secularism.org.uk/news/2019/10/scrap-discriminatory-thought-for-the-day-says-former-presenter/ Welsh government considers ending the right to withdraw from RE and RSE: the NSS’s position https://www.secularism.org.uk/news/2019/10/welsh-government-considers-ending-right-to-withdraw-from-re-and-rse ‘Ensuring access to the full curriculum’: the Welsh government’s consultation https://gov.wales/ensuring-access-full-curriculum Make a stand for freedom, fairness and human rights by adding your voice to the call for a secular democracy. Join the National Secular Society today https://www.secularism.org.uk/join Support the podcast, share with a friend and leave a five star review everywhere you can.

Earlier this month, as John Humphrys stepped down after 32 years at Today and published a long-awaited memoir, A Day Like Today, he came to the Intelligence Squared stage to give an exclusive, behind-the-scenes account of his extraordinary career. Turning the tables on him and pitching the questions was his former Today colleague Justin Webb. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Spectator was delighted to host Charles Moore, author of an acclaimed three-part biography of the former prime minister, and John Humphrys, former presenter of Today, for a special conversation on recent history. They talk about politics from the fall of Margaret Thatcher to the Brexit era, the BBC's bias (or lack thereof), and much much more.

Hi Mosen at Largers. Thanks for joining me again. Are you as enthralled by the Brexit drama as me? Before putting the show together, I pulled an all-nighter watching coverage of the unusual and dramatic Saturday session of the UK House of Commons. I offer a few thoughts.   We talk about food you absolutely adore, and food you detest. Even though the answer to this question should be blatantly obvious, at a listener's request I outline just a few of the things that make soup an abomination.   I review and highly recommend "A Day Like Today", an autobiography by British journalist and recently-retired BBC interviewer John Humphrys.   Shawn calls in to recommend a book called the ABCs of UEB. You can find it here.   We hear a listener's perspective on running Windows on a virtual machine on the Mac.   Keeping with our food theme, Bonnie joins me to discuss some of her most and least favourite food as well as her first taste of a New Zealand culinary institution.   We look at a few items of tech news, including announcements around Disney Plus, Uber Pet, Google's Pixel event and the cool new recorder in the new devices, the ability to easily move music and other audio between your Google Home devices, Tile has some new products including Tile Stickers.   I discuss how I have now made the Microsoft Edge Chromium beta my web browser of choice.    

After 32 years presenting the Today programme on BBC Radio 4, last month John Humphrys hung up his headphones and stepped away from the microphone for the final time. He's interviewed every British prime minister from Alec Douglas-Home to Theresa May, but it’s time for Humphreys’ role as interviewer to be reversed, as he speaks to Emma Barnett.

Crabb declares that Sales is nothing but a “great big school prefect”. To prove her wrong, Sales stays up well past 9pm and chats away with merry abandon for nearly an hour!The Testaments by Margaret AtwoodAuthor Margaret Atwood on her long-awaited sequel to The Handmaid's Tale interviewed by Leigh Sales (7.30; 17 Sep 2019).Margaret Atwood full author listing at BooktopiaHandmaid’s Tale plot refresher (Wikipedia)The Handmaid's Tale (2017 -2019) Adapted from the novel by Margaret Atwood. Starring: Elisabeth Moss, Joseph Fiennes, Yvonne Strahovski.The wastelands created by Australian rubbish in Indonesia reporter David Lipson (7.30; 11 Jul 2019)Illegal shipments of Australian waste used as fuel to make tofu in Indonesia reporter Anne Barker (ABC News [YouTube] 21 Jun 2019)The Godmother by Hannelore Cayre, Stephanie Smee (Translator)Unbelievable Season 1 (2019) starring Toni Collette, Kaitlyn Dever and Merritt Wever (See official Netflix trailer)Nurse Jackie (2009-2015) starring Edie Falco and Merritt WeverBelieved Podcast from NPR about an Olympic gymnastics doctor, Larry Nassar, who abused hundreds of women and girls for two decades.Fleishman Is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-AknerThe Healing Party by Micheline LeeHow Taffy Brodesser-Akner Thrives on Stress by Taffy Brodesser-Akner (Real Simple, 19 July 2019)John Humphrys reveals… by John Humphrys (The Daily Mail, 23 September 2019)I Was Caroline Calloway: Seven years after I met the infamous Instagram star, I’m ready to tell my side of the story by Natalie Beach (The Cut, 10 September 2019)I was Russell Crowe's stooge by Jack Marx (SMH, 7 June 2006)Fyre (2019) A behind the scenes documentary looking at the infamous unraveling of the Fyre music festival (See Official Trailer via Netflix YouTube)

Mike and Matt address the recent news including the Labour Party conference, the collapse of Thomas Cook and John Humphrys stepping down from Radio 4 as well as the major breaking story of the week, MG's horrific injury. Follow the podcast on Twitter: @ThoughtPoliceTP and @IROMG, email the show: thoughtpolicepod@gmail.com and subscribe from your favourite podcast provider so you never miss an episode. New ones drop every Tuesday and Thursday. 

Mike and Matt address the recent news including the Labour Party conference, the collapse of Thomas Cook and John Humphrys stepping down from Radio 4 as well as the major breaking story of the week, MG's horrific injury. Follow the podcast on Twitter: @ThoughtPoliceTP and @IROMG, email the show: thoughtpolicepod@gmail.com and subscribe from your favourite podcast provider so you never miss an episode. New ones drop every Tuesday and Thursday. 

Juliet and Terence on: Shane Gillis joins Saturday Night Live! Oh! No he doesn't!; the art of digital messaging; and what's the deal with John Humphrys?; plus Spot The Singer! Also - four particularly sparkly tracks of music.

For the last 33 years, John Humphrys has held politicians to account as the host of our most popular news programme - Radio 4's Today. In this week's How To Academy Podcast, Matthew Stadlen - a man who is himself no stranger to asking tough questions of those in power - sat down with him to explore what John has learned from a lifetime at the forefront of current affairs in the UK.

John Humphrys left the BBC Radio 4 Today programme on 19th September 23019 . This was the final edition after 32 years.

Light relief on the Radio 4 Today  programme from 6th April 2019 with John Humphrys and Justin Webb when the line went down and filling ensued... 

Roger Bolton talks to former Radio 4 Controller Mark Damazer about the challenges and joys facing whoever takes the job next, James Runcie reflects on his role as commissioning editor for arts on Radio 4, and we hear your responses to a slate of new breakfast shows. Zoe Ball and Lauren Laverne are the new voices of Radio 2 and Radio 6music's breakfast shows, and John Humphrys has announced his departure from the Today Programme. Listeners give their reactions to changing sounds of early morning BBC radio. In January, Gwyneth Williams announced her departure from the BBC as Radio 4's controller. Now the job is up for grabs, former controller Mark Damazer speaks to Roger about the joys, hurdles and room for experimentation open to whoever takes on the role next. What makes a good arts programme? In the first part of Roger's interview with Radio 4's Commissioning Editor for Arts James Runcie, he hears listener reactions to the programmes he's put on air since he took the job in 2016, and discusses his hopes for inclusion and diversity. And the presenter and co-producer of Beyond Tara and George, Audrey Gillan, discusses the difficulties of being both a friend and journalist to the homeless couple at the heart of her series. Presenter: Roger Bolton Producer: Robert Nicholson Executive Producer: Will Yates A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

A sniff that just possibly John Humphrys may leave the Today programme some time in 2019 merited a sizeable chunk of the World at One on Radio 4 on 6th Feb – and prefaced the item on the North Korea nuclear summit. And so it should have. Here, he talks to former dawn colleague, Sarah Montague on the World at One on the day the story appeared on the front page of the Daily Mail.

The Irish backstop is still the hot topic of Brexit debate and Lesley examines the "Let's blame Ireland" narrative which the likes of John Humphrys and Andrew Marr are punting on the BBC. I spent most of Tuesday glued to BBC Parliament trying to follow the series of amendments to the Brexit vote on Theresa May's latest deal. I reflect not only the fate of Ian Blackford's amendment but the disgraceful behaviour of Tory and DUP MPs towards him. We consider, again, the nature of adversarial party politics in the UK and speculate on what, if any, difference a PR system of elections would make. This leads us, neatly, into the Scottish budget, the compromises reached between the SNP and the Scottish Greens to secure agreement in contrast to the refusal of the other three parties to engage with Derek McKay. Lesley hosted Nordic Horizons in Edinburgh earlier this week where the hammer of Fox News, Danish MP Dan Joergensen, was the star turn. As well as all this we pay tribute to Jeremy Hardy, praise Jackson Carlaw and Willie Rennie, and Lesley reckons I might be a hipster.

Writer Gabriella Bennett has just published her new book, “The Art of Coorie", inviting her readers to "embrace all things Scottish". Lesley and I cast our sceptical, though not cynical eyes, on her interpretation of coorie and Caledonian cool. We stick with the land and the new twists in the fight of tenant farmers Alison and David Telfer of Cleuchfoot farm to stop Buccleuch estates removing them to make way for planting trees. As deadlines on Brexit loom ever nearer the BBC has suddenly shown an interest in what the Irish government's position on the Irish backstop is. Neale Richmond, who Lesley spoke to last week, and Irish Deputy Prime Minister Simon Coveney have both made impressive appearances in the past couple of days in the face of "interesting" questioning, in particular from John Humphrys. The murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi has turned the spotlight on Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and the humanitarian disaster in the Yemen. Will his brutal death prove a turning point in the West's relationship with Saudi Arabia? In addition to all this, Ross Thomson gets telt, twice, Andrew Bridgen gets cut off the knees, and I do anagrams. Here's the link to the Corries version of Coorie Doon.Well worth a wee listen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHcdu44vmwU    

Good humoured chat between Melvyn Bragg and John Humphrys on Radio 4's Today programme on 15th October 2018, as the programme celebrates its 20th anniversary.

Radio 1’s Greg James talks to RadioToday’s Stuart Clarkson ahead of starting on the station’s breakfast show next week. Plus - Roy Martin and Stuart discuss the week’s big industry stories, James Cridland shares his thoughts on intelligent segues and David Lloyd’s Radio Moments look back at Radio Clyde’s FM-AM split, the Marine Offences Act of August 1967 and marks John Humphrys’ 75th birthday.

Juliet and Terence on: the weariness of being outraged twenty-four hours a day; John Humphrys - is he all that?; and... the 'joys' of company awaydays. Plus four absolutely tremendous tracks of music...

100 years since women got the vote, Tory backbenchers, John Humphrys caught off guard and who wants to be a Carillionaire?

Following the resignation of Carrie Gracie from her post as the BBC's China Editor on grounds of pay inequality, she hosted the Radio 4 Today programme on 8th Jan 2018. Hear clips of that programme here in which her resignation was covered, including her reading the headlines in which that story was not mentioned; the bulletins in which it was; the press reviews where it was, albeit John Humphrys read them; the interview with John which wasn't an interview; the one between John and Mariella Frostrup which was; and John explaining why everything was or wasnt being discussed. Then - hear an interview with Carrie on Woman's Hour that same morning, concluding with the great back anno from Jane Garvey 'Impartiality does not stop me discussing the menopause on Woman's Hour next week'.

Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. What's John Humphrys' problem? Why are some prisoners getting the vote? And what do modern men want? Felicity Capon, Kari Wilkins and Holden Frith reveal all

Roger Bolton airs listener criticism of a Today programme interview with the director of Public Prosecutions Alison Saunders on sexual harassment. A record number of sex offenders have been brought to justice in England and Wales and convictions for both rape and other sexual offences have risen sharply. But despite topping the news agenda, some listeners were not happy with John Humphrys' tone and line of questioning. Also, Radio 4's Commissioning Editor of Drama and Fiction Jeremy Howe discusses his decision to run The Omen as last week's Book at Bedtime. Following regulatory changes, Roger talks to Sophie Chalk from Voice of the Listener and Viewer, a public service lobby group, about who now holds accountability for the BBC - its Board or Ofcom. And how did a particular programme or report change your life? Listener Ed Green tells us why Glyn Worsnip's A Lone Voice affected him. Producer: Kate Dixon A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

Episode Six of a brand new podcast all about life in football's National League, brought to you by two Torquay United fans - comedian Charlie Baker and talkSPORT's John Cadigan. This week features Truro City's Ivor Dewdney, a celebration of Shaw Lane, a focus on Woking, a mucky book, and a celebrity tale about John Humphrys...

How have voices changed over the years? Listening to the clipped tones of the young Princess Elizabeth is a stark contrast from Her Majesty’s voice today. In this comprehensive piece from the Today programme on BBC Radio 4, the topic is examined, including an example of how the sound of John Humphrys himself has changed over the close to sixty years he’s been on-air.

Speaking and writing correct English are the hallmark of an intelligent person. No one who cares about language wants to be caught splitting an infinitive or muddling up ‘infer’ and ‘imply’. Which is why the bestseller lists are regularly topped by books on 'good' English by the likes of Daily Mail polemicist Simon Heffer and Today programme presenter John Humphrys - both of whom defend the motion in this debate from 5th March 2014. Taking them on were Mary Beard, Professor of Classics at Cambridge, and Oliver Kamm, top commentator at The Times. No one would dare describe either as lacking in grey matter or being insensitive to good English. So why the disagreement with Heffer and Humphrys? Because people on their side of the argument believe that our language can take care of itself, and that it certainly doesn’t need a bunch of self-appointed rule-book sticklers to make others feel insecure about how they speak and write. Good style matters, they argue, and can be taught but the pedants should stop confusing their pet peeves with ‘correct’ English. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Independence means you’ll be poor, says Radio 4 Today presenter John Humphrys. We’ll stop writing you cheques, says The Telegraph… Two bizarre establishment responses to Scotland’s constitutional debate from recent days. Where does this assumption of a poverty stricken independent Scotland come from? Podcast host Derek Bateman took up the issue with economist Dr Craig Dalzell, of the independent and left-leaning think tank Common Weal. Why does London dominate the UK economy and how can the resulting imbalance be challenged? What might an independent Scotland’s economy actually look like? Derek and Craig chew over the possibilities in our latest podcast, recorded as the SNP reflect on the first few days’ political response to last Monday’s declaration of a new referendum.

This week a storm of controversy has surrounded Woman's Hour presenter Jenni Murray. Many listeners feel a newspaper article she wrote breached the BBC's guidelines on impartiality and compromised her presenter role. Others supported her right to free speech. We hear from listeners on both sides of the argument. John Humphrys has also attracted criticism. During a Today programme interview he suggested that referring to MP Jo Cox's murder as an act of terrorism could "muddy the waters". Listeners say he "muddied the waters" himself and was inaccurate. They share their views on his remarks. On Wednesday, Philip Hammond got to his feet to deliver his first Budget. TV and radio teams braved the rain and mud, crowding onto College Green to cover the story. We follow Emma Barnett and the 5 Live Daily team to find out the secrets of broadcasting the budget from a flimsy tent in the pouring rain. And finally, Val McDermid has been pondering the horrifying prospects of a world where antibiotics no longer work. Her drama Resistance was inspired by a two-day Experimental Stories workshop hosted by the Wellcome Trust and Radio 4, where radio producers and writers met scientific researchers to develop dramas. Starring Gina McKee, listeners loved the dram's dystopian vision. Val McDermid talks about why she chose a music festival as the setting for her unnerving story. Presenter: Roger Bolton Producer: Katherine Godfrey A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

As Norway prepares (Jan 2017) to turn off its FM and be the first country to go digital in quite that way, Ford Ennals, Chief Executive Officer Digital Radio UK, spoke to John Humphrys on the Radio 4 Today Programme

A listener talks about the cancer he's been told will kill him and the effect that's had on him and his family. Presented by Eddie Mair and Jennifer Tracey. And Today programme legend John Humphrys reads the bulletin about the lives of listeners, Your News. iPM@bbc.co.uk If you're looking for the details of organisations offering information and support in dealing with cancer they're available at bbc.co.uk/actionline, or you can call for free, at any time, to hear recorded information on 08000 560 190.

Ross Sutherland remixes an episode of Radio 4's 'The Today Programme' into poetry. Also: the least inspired DJ set of all time.

John Humphrys has presented the Today programme on Radio 4 for more than twenty five years. Taking us through his career from leaving school at 15, joining a local paper as a cub reporter, and then his meteoric rise through the BBC - opening news bureaux in the USA and South Africa, anchoring the Nine O'Clock News, and now presenting Mastermind. John talks us through a typical day on Today, the logistics of breaking news on air, and gives advice to would-be interviewees on how to survive a 'John Humphrys interview'.

Russell Brand was invited onto Radio 4's Start the Week to join a discussion on Revolution. But was he out of place on the panel of experts? Some listeners saw it as little more than blatant promotion of his latest book. The programme's editor, Rebecca Stratford, explains the thinking behind her decision. Surround sound has long been enhancing mainstream cinema, and it's now made an appearance in BBC radio drama. And you don't need a 5.1 surround sound speaker set to hear it. So how does it work? All is revealed in a behind the scenes laboratory at BBC Research and Development, where the authentic sounds of World War 1 are brought to life. John Humphrys recently declared on Feedback that UKIP is Britain's fourth political party - leading listeners to wonder if the Green Party ranked anywhere in his poll. With the 2015 General Election around the corner, how does the BBC determine which parties appear in its political debates? Breaking down the stats and figures behind the selection process is the BBC's Chief Political Advisor, Ric Bailey. And how did two Radio 4 programmes get repeated minutes after their original broadcast? Produced by Will Yates A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

Lord Heseltine has been criticised for his use of the word 'handicapped' on Radio 4's Any Questions. But should Jonathan Dimbleby or the programme's producers have stepped in to correct him? Radio 4's Peter White, who's also the BBC's Disability Affairs Correspondent, gives his take on the evolution of terminology -and the minefield of words to avoid. Moral Maze presenter Michael Buerk also came under fire this week for his choice of words in a live on-air trail. He was promoting this week's debate on whether the footballer and convicted rapist Ched Evans should be allowed to return to his footballing career. But the trail led many to accuse the presenter of victim blaming. And will there ever be a perfect political interview to please all listeners? This week the interviewing skills of Today presenters John Humphrys and Sarah Montague are called into question. But who is really at fault here - is it the combative approach of interviewers or the impenetrable defence of politicians? The BBC wants to reflect the UK's ethnic diversity more accurately in both television and radio broadcasting. In order to widen their pool of expert contributors, the BBC Academy has launched a series of Black and Minority Ethnic Expert Voices Days. Two applicants who attended the event explain why they want to help change the look and sound of the BBC. And get your headphones at the ready for a glimpse into the world of surround sound and binaural audio. Produced by Will Yates A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

Have political interviews become a monotonous drone on your radio? Newsnight Editor Ian Katz believes most are simply "boring-snoring". 5 live Breakfast presenter Nicky Campbell and Today's John Humphrys fought their corner in a Masterclass at this year's Radio Festival in Salford on "The Art of the Political Interview." Three Feedback listeners also went along and put their questions to Radio 4's Grand Inquisitor. Roger Bolton also talks to Desert Island Discs' Kirsty Young about how she gets her castaways to open up. She also reveals which castaway made her go weak at the knees. The Head Down Generation, the BBC Trust and commercial rivals are just some of concerns that the Controller of Radio 1 and 1Xtra, Ben Cooper, has to consider. But what seven things are keeping him awake at night? He responds to the ever-present question of Radio 1's average audience age and brings new meaning to the words pipe and platform. Produced by Will Yates A Whistledown Production for BBC Radio 4.

Richard Coles and Suzy Klein and a live audience at the 2014 Abergavenny Food Festival, with doyenne of the wine world Jancis Robinson, Jay Rayner from Radio 4's Kitchen Cabinet, tree hunter Rob McBride and beekeeper Scott Davies who gave world leaders a taste of honey at the recent NATO summit in Newport. The Today programme's John Humphrys tucks into some Welsh treats with JP Devlin, BBC Introducing star Kizzy Crawford performs and musician and broadcaster Cerys Matthews shares her Inheritance Tracks. Jancis Robinson and Hugh Johnson write 'The World Atlas of Wine'. The seventh edition is available now. Tree hunter Rob McBride is hosting a talk & walk at Modbury in Devon as part of the HERCULES Cultural Landscape Project at 2pm on September 20th. Kizzy Crawford's new single 'Golden Brown' is out now. Cerys Matthews broadcasts on BBC Radio 6 Music on Sundays from 10am to 1pm. She inherits Snooks Eaglin's 'I'm a Country Boy' and passes on Hozier's 'Take Me To Church'. Beekeeper Scott Davies runs Hilltop Honey in Newton in Powys. Producer: Dixi Stewart.

This week's interview with our guest, the journalist and broadcaster John Humphrys.

Listeners' views on the BBC's coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict continue to dominate our inbox. There are allegations of bias on both sides - the BBC coverage is accused of being too pro-Palestinian and too pro-Israeli. But how easy is it to accurately report the conflict on the ground from within Gaza? Roger Bolton speaks to the BBC's chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet. Also this week, should history stay in the past? John Humphrys and Melvyn Bragg have gone head-to-head over the use of the present tense to describe historical events. Matthew Parris, who presents Radio 4's long-running biographical series Great Lives, was among the first to criticise this seemingly modern fad. But is it actually a new thing? And can it be an effective tool for bringing the past to life? Matthew gives his view. And Roger joins the gardeners of Cumbria on board the M V Teal on Windermere for a special recording of Gardeners' Question Time. The chairman, Eric Robson, is celebrating 20 years of presiding over the gardening queries of the nation, but what's in his garden? And how do the panel of Bob Flowerdew, Pippa Greenwood, and Bunny Guinness prepare for any question that the audience might throw at them? Find out how an audience of 150 gardeners, perhaps more used to being close to the earth, take to the water. You can hear the special edition of Gardeners' Question Time on Friday 8th August at 15.00 and repeated on Sunday 10th August at 14.00 on BBC Radio 4. Finally, are Sandi Toksvig and her News Quiz panel taking up raving? The problems with the BBC iPlayer continue. Producer: Katherine Godfrey. A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

Is anyone at the BBC listening? This week we'll be talking to John Humphrys about whether liberal bias at the BBC has put it out of step with public opinion, and whether anything is changing. And there's a tale of sabotage and sacrilege in a Lincolnshire abbey. In an interview with this week's Radio Times, John Humphrys admitted the BBC had, in the past, been wrong in its coverage of immigration and Europe. "We weren't sufficiently sceptical - that's the most accurate phrase - of the pro-European case. We bought into the European ideal". And he went on to say that the BBC has been "grotesquely over-managed". Roger Bolton asks John what has changed and whether BBC presenters should criticise their employer. Roger's also been brushing up his Welsh this week to speak to the Editor of Programmes for BBC Radio Cymru, Betsan Powys. Following a dispute with Welsh musicians and a fall in listener figures, BBC Radio Cymru, the only national Welsh language radio station, decided it needed to start listening to its audience. After months of conversations with listeners, Radio Cymru has re-launched with a dramatic shake-up to its schedules. Will it work? And will they still be listening now they've made the changes? And our quest to find the very first bells broadcast on the BBC takes us to a small town in the Midlands to hear a listeners' fascinating tale of a nefarious plot to foil the broadcasters. Producer: Will Yates A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

Speaking and writing correct English are the hallmark of an intelligent person. No one who cares about language wants to be caught splitting an infinitive or muddling up ‘infer’ and ‘imply’. Which is why the bestseller lists are regularly topped by books on 'good' English by the likes of Daily Mail polemicist Simon Heffer and Today programme presenter John Humphrys - both of whom defend the motion in this debate from 5th March 2014. Taking them on are Mary Beard, Professor of Classics at Cambridge, and Oliver Kamm, top commentator at The Times. No one would dare describe either as lacking in grey matter or being insensitive to good English. So why the disagreement with Heffer and Humphrys? Because people on their side of the argument believe that our language can take care of itself, and that it certainly doesn’t need a bunch of self-appointed rule-book sticklers to make others feel insecure about how they speak and write. Good style matters, they argue, and can be taught but the pedants should stop... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The search is on for a buyer for the paper and John Plunkett and Emily Bell on a possibile a two-speed internet in the US

We look at the latest radio listening figures, plus, former Radio 1 DJ Mike Smith lays into commercial stations and John Humphrys discusses his Sony win

In this special programme from behind the scenes at this year's Sony Radio Academy Awards, join Andrea Day and Stuart Clarkson as they talk to some of the winners including Dan & Phil, John Humphrys, Danny Baker, Nick Grimshaw, Colin Murray, Christian O'Connell, Peter Allen, Richard Park and host Chris Evans. #sonys The Radio Today Programme with AudioBoo is available every Wednesday. Presented by Trevor Dann A TDC Production for Radio Today Produced by Jamie Tayler Voiceover - emilychiswell.com Music - Euro Star from ostinatomusic.com

In the last of the current series of Feedback, Roger Bolton is joined by Gwyneth Williams, the Controller of Radio 4. She responds to listener questions on topics ranging from the coverage of Baroness Thatcher's funeral to Paul and Lillian's love affair in The Archers. Earlier this week the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, was interviewed by John Humphrys about UK borrowing figures - but the interview took a personal turn at the end when Mr Osborne was quizzed on his tears during Margaret Thatcher's funeral. We hear the views of listeners who were unimpressed by the line of questioning. Also, are standards of grammar and pronunciation slipping at Radio 4? Many think so. But what will the Controller make of the comments? Producer: Kate Taylor A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

Radio 4 Today Programme presenter John Humphrys makes a surprise appearance on Danny Baker's Radio 5 Live Show for the legendary Sausage Sandwich Game. #dannybaker

Does Radio 4 need to replenish its audience with an injection of young blood? Roger talks to the station's Network Manager Denis Nowlan about attracting new audiences and gets the views of age-aware Feedback listeners. And for many concert goers, the most taxing decision during the interval is whether to have a G&T or a glass of wine. But for Radio 3 producers, there's a tricky balance to be struck between entertaining the audience in the stalls and the listeners at home. We talk to Radio 3's Head of Speech Matthew Dodd and hear your suggestions for how to keep the interval interesting. Also - the case of the disappearing drama. The scheduling of the lavish adaptation of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere across Radio 4 and then the digital-only station 4Extra drew criticism from some Feedback listeners when the series aired in March. Nevermind, many were content to access the drama online having seen that it would be available for over a year. But when they settled down to listen, Neverwhere was nowhere to be found. Feedback investigates. And we hear your views on the first interview with the new BBC Director General, Tony Hall, who went into the Today studio to talk to John Humphrys. Many felt it wasn't exactly a warm welcome. Presenter: Roger Bolton Producers Will Yates A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

Roger Bolton gives a Feedback listener an access all areas backstage pass to the Today programme. Francesca Fenn talks to Sarah Montague, Charlotte Green and John Humphrys. Roger puts your queries to Ceri Thomas the editor of Today including length of items, gender balance and Murdoch overkill. A Feedback listener has a miserable Sunday night listening to Pick of the Week.And will the "visualisation of radio" mean early retirement for those with "a good face for radio"? Plus the World Service's Director of Global News Peter Horrocks talks about falling listeners and new funding models.Contact the Feedback team to let Roger know what you'd like him to tackle this series about anything you've heard on BBC radio.Producer: Karen Pirie A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

Is local radio in England worth its £110 million budget? Roger returns to his home county of Cumbria to speak to listeners there about why their local BBC radio station is one of the most popular in the country. And you wanted to hear more from Sharon Shoesmith, the former director of Haringey children's services. Maybe you would have if it was someone other than John Humphrys interviewing her on The Today programme.How many children listen to the radio in the middle of the night? None we hope, so why are so many of you being kept awake by CBeebies programmes at 2 o'clock in the morning? Radio 4's Network Manager Denis Nowlan explains.And what exactly is a lamb bank? Well it helps save the lives of thousands of lambs each year - and there no bonuses involved.Contact the Feedback team to let Roger know what else you'd like him to tackle this series about anything you've heard on BBC radio.Producer: Karen Pirie A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

Christian families are leaving Iraq in large numbers amid continuing sectarian violence, Jim Muir has the latest developments. John Humphrys travels to China and finds political perils threaten the country's booming economy. In South Africa, Hamilton Wende hears tales of horror and victory from a veteran of the Battle of El Alamein. Lina Sinjab finds youngsters in Yemen disturbed by the way the world views their country. And in the Maldives, Tim Ecott witnesses the massing of the manta rays.

John Humphrys stresses how important it is to know your subject and know your position in the argument.

Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the broadcaster and journalist John Humphrys. For 21 years he has been at the helm of Today, Radio 4's flagship news and current affairs programme. Millions of devoted listeners enjoy his tenacious interviewing style - and it's won him a healthy respect from politicians too. Not all are supporters though; Jonathan Aitken accused him of "poisoning the well of democratic debate" - an attack which he initially thought would cost him his career. Now, his life is dominated not only by the alarm bell - which is set for 3.58am - but by his youngest son, Owen. When John Humphrys describes the joy and warmth the seven-year-old has brought him, he becomes, if only temporarily, lost for words.[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]Favourite track: Opening of Cello Concerto by Edward Elgar Book: Biggest poetry anthology possible Luxury: A cello.

Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the broadcaster and journalist John Humphrys. For 21 years he has been at the helm of Today, Radio 4's flagship news and current affairs programme. Millions of devoted listeners enjoy his tenacious interviewing style - and it's won him a healthy respect from politicians too. Not all are supporters though; Jonathan Aitken accused him of "poisoning the well of democratic debate" - an attack which he initially thought would cost him his career. Now, his life is dominated not only by the alarm bell - which is set for 3.58am - but by his youngest son, Owen. When John Humphrys describes the joy and warmth the seven-year-old has brought him, he becomes, if only temporarily, lost for words. [Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: Opening of Cello Concerto by Edward Elgar Book: Biggest poetry anthology possible Luxury: A cello.