Today’s tribute to presenter Hobday

FORMER TODAY presenter Peter Hobday has been remembered for his humour, generosity and “warm and embracing personality” after his death at 82.

Hobday, whose death was announced on the BBC Radio 4 programme, was a popular host on the show for nearly 14 years until his controversial dismissal in

1996, and he also helped launch current affairs programme Newsnight.

Former Today presenter John Humphrys, who worked alongside Hobday for nearly a decade, said he was a “funny, generous and had that great gift of making the listener feel at home in his company”.

Humphrys added: “He was also very clever and knew a great deal about many things but he was never pompous and wore his learning lightly. We missed him when he left. He was a lovely man.”

Hobday’s former

Today colleague James Naughtie remembered his “jolliness”. Naughtie told Today: “If you don’t have a personality there’s no point, and Peter had a wonderful, warm and embracing personality, and it was said that by the mid-1990s his style was a bit 1980s, that’s what he felt had been the reason for his departure. I don’t know whether that was true or not, but he was much missed.”

Fran Unsworth, director, BBC News and current affairs, said: “We’re sorry to hear of Peter’s death. He contributed much to the BBC – from his early days on the World Service to his hosting of Newsnight and the Today programme.” Born in 1937 in Wolverhampton, Hobday went on to study modern languages at Leicester University and completed his National Service in Paris before joining the Wolverhampton Express and Star as a showbusiness editor.

Hobday joined the BBC in 1970.