Who may exchange Emma Barnett on BBC Radio 4 Women’s Hour?
- Emma Barnett is confirmed as the brand new host of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme
As Emma Barnett was confirmed as a brand new host for the BBC Radio 4 Today programme from May – hypothesis is mounting over who will succeed her on the helm of Women’s Hour.
Barnett took on the primary presenting function of Women’s Hour in 2020 after the retirement of Dame Jenni Murray.
It was a pure stepping stone for the broadcaster, who first gained work expertise on the present as a 17-year-old and guest-presented for over 5 years earlier than succeeding Dame Jenni.
Speaking of her departure, Barnett stated: ‘My time on Woman’s Hour means an important deal to me and I wish to thank the workforce and our mighty military of listeners for a way a lot we now have shared – the enjoyment, knowledge, sorrow and generally sheer rage.
‘I’ll carry so a lot of these moments with me for the remainder of my life.
But with Barnett set to go away Women’s Hour in simply two months – who’re the stalking candidates set to fill her footwear?
Woman’s Hour presenter Emma Barnett, 39, is the brand new host of Radio 4’s BBC Today programme
The Woman’s Hour presenter will exchange veteran journalist Martha Kearney, 66, who introduced in February she would step down after the overall election
SARA COX
Sara Cox, 49, is among the many frontrunners who may succeed Barnett at Women’s Hour
Broadcaster Sara Cox, 49, is among the many frontrunners who may succeed Barnett at Women’s Hour.
Hailing from Bolton, Lancashire, she gained recognition as a ‘ladette’ presenting the Girlie Show on Channel 4 in 1996 and adopted it up with others 90s staples -Channel 5 leisure present Exclusive and Channel 4 Music programme Born Sloppy.
She offered Radio 1 Breakfast on BBC Radio 1 from 2000 till 2003. Since 2019, she has fronted the BBC Radio 2 drivetime present Monday to Friday.
Cox has a welath of expertise on tv, notably for the BBC, internet hosting The Great Pottery Throw Down (2015–2017), Too Much TV (2016) and Back in Time for… (2018–2020).
REETA CHAKRABARTI
Reeta Chakrabarti has the credentials to be a contender for the function
Oxbridge graduate Reeta Chakrabarti is likely one of the BBC’s most recognisable newsreaders and has the credentials to be a contender for the function.
Chakrabarti started her profession on BBC Radio 4 within the Nineteen Eighties, engaged on the Today programme, The World at One and PM earlier than becoming a member of 5 Live Breakfast.
In 1997, she turned a neighborhood affairs correspondent for the BBC, masking the Stephen Lawrence inquest and the follow-up public inquiry. She additionally reported Damilola Taylor’s homicide trial, earlier than turning into a political correspondent in Westminster in 1999.
More lately, Chakrabarti has been the face of BBC World and Radio 4’s The World Tonight.
TINA DAHELEY
Former Women’s soccer presenter Tina Daheley has been instructed for the function
Tina Daheley, 43, reads the information on The Radio 2 Breakfast Show alongside Zoe Ball, usually sharing insights through the present. She can be an occasional presenter on BBC News at Ten and BBC News at Six.
A former ladies’s soccer reporter, since July 2016, Daheley has been a part-time host on BBC Breakfast and the Victoria Derbyshire present.
In September 2016, Daheley Coined crimewatch as one of many principal presenters, alongside Jeremy Vine.
More lately she has been a part of the BBC Election Night workforce, studying the highest of the hour 5 minute BBC News Summary.
GEETA GURU-MURTHY
Geeta Guru-Murthy is a stalwart of BBC presenting, internet hosting morning bulletins corresponding to BBC News at Nine
TV journalist Geeta Guru-Murthy is a stalwart of BBC presenting, internet hosting morning bulletins corresponding to BBC News at Nine, in addition to bulletins on BBC World News, BBC Two, BBC News Channel and BBC World News.
She started her profession internet hosting BBC Look North, later switching to the newly-launched transferring 5 News. She reported US President Bill Clinton’s marketing campaign path for five information in 1998 when information of the Monica Lewinsky scandal broke.
By 2005, she was presenting the information on BBC Radio 4 and in 2017, was considered one of a lot of BBC feminine workers protesting the gender pay hole.
Besides her personal journalism achievements, she occurs to be the sister of Channel 4 information presenter and Strictly star Krishnan Guru-Murthy.
Deborah Turness, CEO of BBC News, stated: ‘Emma is a formidable, fearless and ferociously clever journalist and I’m delighted that she will probably be showcasing her appreciable skills throughout all of BBC News’ platforms.’
‘Emma will deliver her distinctive vitality and verve to our good workforce of Today presenters – every single day they ask the questions that want answering, and host the UK’s most necessary dialog.
‘I’m thrilled that Emma is becoming a member of that workforce, who’re on the high of their sport.’
In February, The Telegraph reported the hiring of Barnett may spark accusations of ageism with the BBC beforehand utilizing Martha Kearney and Kirsty Walk as examples of veteran broadcasters in outstanding roles.
After the election, Kearney will proceed engaged on a wide range of tasks, together with Open Country and is about to entrance a brand new interview sequence celebrating the pure world referred to as This Natural Life.
The present will give attention to every friends’ ardour for nature.
Mother-of-two Barnett gave beginning to her first youngster, a son, in 2018 after three years of making an attempt.
She underwent six extra rounds of IVF and suffered a miscarriage in 2022, earlier than giving beginning to a daughter in January final 12 months.
Making the announcement, Barnett, who has been open about having endometriosis and the way it impacts her fertility, posted a photograph of her bump painted by being pregnant artist Emma Allen.
Writing on her substack weblog, Barnett argued ladies are ‘shamed’ into silence about infertility points, including she discovered herself ‘pretending this was a traditional option to dwell’ as she continued to have IVF.
However, after struggling the miscarriage at first 2022, she stated the loss was ‘a slap within the face I could not ignore’, which influenced her determination to jot down about her expertise.
Describing the method of IVF, Emma stated it was ‘isolating’, though she had a supportive associate to depend on.
Barnett received plaudits from the general public in November final 12 months, when she requested the transgender boss of an endemetriosis charity requested why she did not use the phrase ‘lady’ to explain victims of the illness.
Steph Richards, 71, who prompted controversy after being appointed to the highest job at Endometriosis South Coast, sparked a pile-on in opposition to Ms Barnett after showing on the present.
Barnett has been presenting Woman’s Hour since January 2021 and had a earlier six-year stint on BBC Radio 5 Live
Martha Kearney has been presenting the Today present for the final six years
Martha Kearney, 66, is about to entrance a brand new interview present referred to as This Natural Life
During the interview, the radio host, who’s considered one of 1.5million British victims of the painful illness – wherein tissue just like the liner of the womb grows elsewhere within the physique – questioned Ms Richards about her suitability for the function.
And in an change listeners praised as ‘defending organic actuality’, Ms Barnett pressed the chief govt on why she didn’t use the phrase ‘lady’ in a press release referring to these with the situation.
The interview prompted Ms Richards to submit on X, previously Twitter: ‘Did Emma Bartlett [sic] wish to speak about #endo or the phrase “woman”?
‘A missed probability I believe, to lift consciousness of this actually terrible illness.’
Trans activists then attacked the presenter on social media, claiming the interview was ‘bullying’ and ‘transphobic’.
The flashpoint occurred when Ms Barnett identified that Ms Richards had not used the phrase lady in a press release about endometriosis.
She requested : ‘There’s a concern that as a trans activist, now operating, being the CEO of an endometriosis charity for ladies, that you’ll not protect the significance of issues just like the phrase ‘lady’ and that have as a result of in your assertion on X, 10 per cent you say of these assigned feminine at beginning undergo from this terrible illness. Is the phrase you might be searching for there “woman”?’
Ms Barnett was lauded by outstanding feminists, together with Julie Bindel and Kathleen Stock, for robustly questioning Richards after her appointment as head of Endometriosis South Coast.
But she was additionally slated by critics, together with Labour MP Ben Bradshaw.
The MP for Exeter stated: ‘Huge respect to you and your colleague for withstanding the appalling presenter bullying and defending inclusive language and providers.’
Steph Richards is the boss of an endometriosis charity. She clashed with Barnett in an interview final November
In January 2021, Woman’s Hour visitor Kelechi Okafor stormed off the present simply two minutes earlier than airtime after claiming she overheard host Barnett discussing if she had made anti-Semitic remarks
In January 2021, Woman’s Hour visitor Kelechi Okafor stormed off the present simply two minutes earlier than airtime after claiming she overheard host Barnett discussing if she had made anti-Semitic remarks.
Ms Okafor was set to speak in regards to the MeToo motion on the Radio 4 present however left the Zoom name moments earlier than it went dwell after the brand new host – in her third day within the hotseat – left her mic on throughout a dialog with producers.
The actress was accused of anti-Semitism in 2017 when she defended Reggie Yates after he praised musicians who weren’t signed to ‘some random fats Jewish man’.
Ms Okafor stated within the now-deleted podcast: ‘Black folks within the leisure business have been short-changed a lot by the sorts of individuals Reggie Yates describes. Apart from the ”fats half” I do not see what he stated incorrect.’
Barnett, who took over internet hosting the favored Radio 4 present shortly earlier than the incident, stated she had invited Ms Okafor to debate the matter and ‘stands by her queries’.
She stated it was her ‘obligation to ask folks what qualifies them as a number one voice in an area. And about any earlier points which can affect their views.’
She added: ‘Just earlier than I went on air this morning to current a particular programme about Me Too – pegged to the anniversary of Harvey Weinstein’s court docket case – it got here to my consideration that Kelechi Okafor had made alleged anti-Semitic remarks.
‘I stand by my inquiries to my workforce and to Kelechi. I’d have fortunately hosted her on the programme with a query on this problem.’
She stated Ms Okafor denied the allegations. Campaigners have stated Barnett’s gaffe meant no BAME voices had been included within the MeToo dialogue.