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| John Humphrys says he's 'over-friendly' – and misses top slot in Radio Times poll | John Humphrys says he's 'over-friendly' – and misses top slot in Radio Times poll |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| He has been dubbed the “rottweiler of Radio 4” and was told by David Cameron: “You’ll interrupt yourself in a minute.” But Today presenter John Humphrys has described his interviewing style as “possibly over-friendly” and “obsequious”. | He has been dubbed the “rottweiler of Radio 4” and was told by David Cameron: “You’ll interrupt yourself in a minute.” But Today presenter John Humphrys has described his interviewing style as “possibly over-friendly” and “obsequious”. |
| “A little timid and nervous. I’m always worried I might upset someone. If anything, I err on the side of obsequious,” Humphrys told the new issue of Radio Times. | “A little timid and nervous. I’m always worried I might upset someone. If anything, I err on the side of obsequious,” Humphrys told the new issue of Radio Times. |
| “I think I’m possibly over-friendly.” | “I think I’m possibly over-friendly.” |
| Related: John Humphrys on Twitter, TV and why 'sitting down is the new smoking' | Related: John Humphrys on Twitter, TV and why 'sitting down is the new smoking' |
| Some of Humphrys’ interviewees on Today might beg to differ, including Cameron who appeared on the programme a day before the EU referendum that prompted his resignation as prime minister. Humphrys was also responsible for the interview that helped seal the fate of the then BBC director general, George Entwistle. | |
| But his famously straightforward interviewing style has not been enough to earn him top spot in a Radio Times poll of the nation’s favourite radio voices, which was topped by his Radio 4 colleagues Eddie Mair and Kirsty Young. | But his famously straightforward interviewing style has not been enough to earn him top spot in a Radio Times poll of the nation’s favourite radio voices, which was topped by his Radio 4 colleagues Eddie Mair and Kirsty Young. |
| Humphrys was runner-up among the men, in a top five that also included Radio 2’s Ken Bruce, Classic FM’s John Suchet, and Radio 4 continuity announcer Neil Nunes. | Humphrys was runner-up among the men, in a top five that also included Radio 2’s Ken Bruce, Classic FM’s John Suchet, and Radio 4 continuity announcer Neil Nunes. |
| Young pipped former Radio 4 continuity announcer Charlotte Green to the top women’s spot in a top five that included Woman’s Hour’s Jenni Murray and Jane Garvey, and Today’s Mishal Husain. Green is now a presenter on Classic FM, and reads the Radio 5 Live football results on Saturday afternoons. | Young pipped former Radio 4 continuity announcer Charlotte Green to the top women’s spot in a top five that included Woman’s Hour’s Jenni Murray and Jane Garvey, and Today’s Mishal Husain. Green is now a presenter on Classic FM, and reads the Radio 5 Live football results on Saturday afternoons. |
| Asked to explain the preponderance of Scottish or Irish presenters among the nation’s favourite voices, Desert Island Discs’ presenter Young said: “It’s a fashion. There’s also the classless thing – to an Irish or Scottish person, that voice has class and they can place it, but to most English people they can’t place an Irish or Scottish accent in class terms.” | |
| Related: Eddie Mair: a rising BBC star | Related: Eddie Mair: a rising BBC star |
| Mair, presenter of Radio 4’s PM, said of his interviewing style: “It sounds highfalutin but we’ve got a job to do. James Boyle [former Radio 4 controller] wanted the network to sound unbuttoned, and so I think it’s our job, as the hired hands, to deliver that.” | Mair, presenter of Radio 4’s PM, said of his interviewing style: “It sounds highfalutin but we’ve got a job to do. James Boyle [former Radio 4 controller] wanted the network to sound unbuttoned, and so I think it’s our job, as the hired hands, to deliver that.” |
| Jane Anderson, Radio Times radio editor, says: “It’s been 14 years since RT ran a voice poll. | Jane Anderson, Radio Times radio editor, says: “It’s been 14 years since RT ran a voice poll. |
| “Charlotte Green was then your leading woman without having a show of her own, and sadly, our last leading man, Terry Wogan, died in January. His lilting Irish burr, almost musical in its delivery, delighted our readers for decades. | “Charlotte Green was then your leading woman without having a show of her own, and sadly, our last leading man, Terry Wogan, died in January. His lilting Irish burr, almost musical in its delivery, delighted our readers for decades. |
| “But Terry’s influence lives on. When he won, he topped a list dominated by those who spoke ‘BBC English’. That’s now changed: four of today’s top 10 voices are Scottish, two are Welsh and, in the case of Neil Nunes, his rich, deep baritone arrives with a Jamaican accent.” | “But Terry’s influence lives on. When he won, he topped a list dominated by those who spoke ‘BBC English’. That’s now changed: four of today’s top 10 voices are Scottish, two are Welsh and, in the case of Neil Nunes, his rich, deep baritone arrives with a Jamaican accent.” |
| The poll asked Radio Times readers to vote for their favourite voices from a shortlist of 40, and received more than 32,000 votes. | The poll asked Radio Times readers to vote for their favourite voices from a shortlist of 40, and received more than 32,000 votes. |
| The nation’s favourite radio voices (Radio Times poll) | The nation’s favourite radio voices (Radio Times poll) |
| Women | Women |
| 1 Kirsty Young 2 Charlotte Green 3 Jenni Murray 4 Mishal Husain 5 Jane Garvey 6 Lynn Bowles 7 Corrie Corfield 8 Susan Rae 9 Sarah Walker 10 Anne-Marie Minhall Men | 1 Kirsty Young 2 Charlotte Green 3 Jenni Murray 4 Mishal Husain 5 Jane Garvey 6 Lynn Bowles 7 Corrie Corfield 8 Susan Rae 9 Sarah Walker 10 Anne-Marie Minhall Men |
| 1 Eddie Mair2 John Humphrys3 Ken Bruce4 John Suchet5 Neil Nunes6 Henry Blofeld7 Barry Cryer8 Charles Collingwood9 Michael Berkeley10 Steve Allen | 1 Eddie Mair2 John Humphrys3 Ken Bruce4 John Suchet5 Neil Nunes6 Henry Blofeld7 Barry Cryer8 Charles Collingwood9 Michael Berkeley10 Steve Allen |