EMILY MAITLIS,

the new lead presenter of Newsnight, struck a chord with me when she said: ‘I weep after interviews.’ Some people interpret this as a sign of weakness, but it is actually a tremendous strength because it shows that as well as having a mind like a steel trap, Emily also possesses a degree of empathy. You get a far better insight into people by treating them as humans than you do from barking at them à la Jeremy Paxman.