It’s called Woman’s Hour for a reason…
Talking of the BBC… to lose one Woman’s Hour presenter is sad. To lose two looks a little careless. But this week, a month after Dame Jenni Murray announced her retirement, Jane Garvey has said that she, too, is stepping down.
“It has been a tremendous privilege, but I have decided to leave the programme at the end of the year,” she told listeners on Friday, adding that she won’t be quitting Radio 4 altogether, and will present her own interview show in 2021.
None the less, she will be missed at 10am on weekdays. I don’t mind admitting that I give a little cheer whenever I hear “with Jane Garvey” before the credits. Her warm, authoritative style is the perfect foil for Murray’s friendly yet suffer-nofools delivery.
There is nothing to suggest that Garvey isn’t leaving of her own volition. But her outspokenness on social media would surely fall foul of new boss Tim Davie’s aforementioned clampdown. Her bio on the platform reads: “Bangs on about equal pay. ‘Sparked controversy’ about Arctic Roll” – referring to an incident in April when she was accused of snobbery for calling it a “low-level pudding”.
With Garvey and Murray departing, two of the most coveted radio jobs in the BBC are now up for grabs. A number of helpful Twitter users have suggested that a new male presenter might “improve” the show. What hilarity! Seeing as pretty much every other hour on Radio 4 is man’s hour, let’s leave the 10am slot to us ladies, eh?