AT LAST! IT’S THE END OF MEN-ONLY CLUBS ON AIR
Zoë Ball and Sara Cox have landed two of the most important jobs in radio. So why did it take so long, asks
RADIO 2 – THE UK’S most popular radio station, with 15m listeners – has remembered that women have voices (and ears) too, and appointed Zoë Ball and Sara Cox to host its breakfast and drivetime weekday shows. Last week, Radio 2’s head of content commissioning said they were thrilled to be welcoming them both.
‘So what?’ you may think. These are two great broadcasters, who have proved their talent on both TV and radio: of course, they should be hosting such prestigious programmes. Well, yes. Except that for the past 20 years, Radio 2 somehow couldn’t find room for any female broadcaster during weekday daylight hours. From 1998 until May of this year, there wasn’t a woman in the host role between 6.30am and 7pm, Monday to Friday. It has taken years of pressure on the BBC’S top brass to get them to make this change.
Some of us formed a women-in-audio pressure group, Sound Women, way back in 2011, to try and help women progress in radio. We commissioned research
that showed there was only one female hosting a breakfast show by herself across the whole of the BBC local radio network. That got BBC director general Tony Hall’s attention and, in 2013, he demanded that at least half of BBC local radio breakfast shows have a woman presenter or co-presenter.
Radio 2 still wouldn’t budge, though. It was rumoured that bosses were worried the available women hadn’t had enough experience for daytime shows. Argh! You can’t become experienced until you’re offered the job, as we all know.
So what has changed? Well, Chris Evans having his salary published meant that other stations could offer him more, and Virgin did. Evans leaving Radio 2’s breakfast show left a gap – the biggest job in radio – that a woman could fill. And, more importantly, in 2017 Ofcom, the Government-appointed regulatory authority, started overseeing the BBC, and explicitly stated in the BBC’S licence that it must ‘reflect the diversity of the United Kingdom’. An all-white, all-male, all-over-50 daytime line-up certainly wasn’t doing that.
Should we think about that for a bit, though? It took actual legal regulation to force Radio 2 into changing its roster. That’s how hard it is to make some men realise that women should be hosting big shows. Well, such rubbish doesn’t wash any more. Men-only clubs, on air or in life, are no longer acceptable. Even if just from a numbers point of view. Radio 2 needs to attract people younger than 50 if it is going to survive, and a more diverse audience, too (ethnic minorities are also under-represented in radio).
Young-at-heart, eminently experienced Zoë Ball and Sara Cox have been waiting in the wings for long enough. They are overqualified for their new jobs. Radio 2 has taken its time, but finally it’s moving from ‘golf club’ radio into a station that welcomes us all. Miranda Sawyer is The Observer’s radio critic
IT TOOK ACTUAL REGULATION TO FORCE RADIO 2 INTO CHANGING ITS ROSTER
THERE ARE MA MANY
fashion faux pas that have become a fashion must-have. Dad sneakers. Puffer jackets. Even high-waisted jeans were once thought of as being distinctly uncool. The latest in the series is the humble fleece, much beloved by the rambler and dog walker. For autumn/winter, however, the fleece is reborn, in an array of prints and cuts that turn this previously bland basic into a directional mid-layer perfect for right now, with the weather snapping back to freezing. It started as a trickle on the runway, when designers like Sacai sent out expedition-inspired fleeces covered in Aztec prints. Undercover, meanwhile, issued snuggly zip-ups that mimicked American collegiate sweaters.
Some catwalk trends don’t ever catch on IRL. But last week, Gigi Hadid stepped out in a cropped turquoise version by emerging US designer Sandy Liang, thus cementing the fleece’s mainstream appeal.
It’s hard to see why we haven’t loved the fleece before. They’re cosy. They’re slim enough to fit under jackets and roomy enough to throw on as an extra layer. They’re easier to care for than cashmere. They’re this season’s answer to the statement sweater and can be worn with everything from on-trend corduroys to jeans, and over mididresses. We’re very much on-board.
‘ The hiking trend for this autumn/winter has made the fleece relevant,’ says Lizzie Dawson, design director for Urban Outfitters, which has 47% more fleeces this season than last. The retailer is currently shifting more fleeces than sweaters and has sold out of some styles in less than a week; its most popular styles include a white pullover with snowy Alpine scenes, and one covered in enlarged red roses. ‘ The update and reinvention of the fleece in both modern prints and colours has made it a desirable wardrobe staple for anyone who wants to nail new-season dressing with a contemporary feel.’
And developments in eco-fleece make it extra appealing. Patagonia’s fleeces – which are currently selling like hotcakes on ASOS – are crafted from recycled plastic and are Fairtrade certified. And Everlane’s newly released Renew collection includes cosy fleeces that are made from 35 plastic bottles. Cosy fashion with a feelgood factor – does it get any chicer than that?