Former BBC Woman’s Hour presenter Dame Jenni Murray dies aged 75

Broadcaster Dame Jenni Murray, who presented Woman’s Hour for three decades, has died at the age of 75, the BBC has said.

She became the longest-serving host in the BBC Radio 4 programme’s history before leaving in 2020, having first appeared on the broadcast in 1987.

Dame Jenni has been remembered as a “broadcasting icon” who leaves behind “an indelible legacy on generations of listeners”.

Outgoing BBC director-general Tim Davie said: “This is incredibly sad news and our thoughts are with all of Dame Jenni’s family and friends. Dame Jenni was, simply put, a broadcasting icon.

“Throughout her three ground-breaking decades on Woman’s Hour, Jenni created a safe space for her audience thanks to her warmth, intelligence and courage.

“We shall all miss her terribly. Her legacy endures in the countless conversations she started, the many issues she championed and the lives she touched.”

Mohit Bakaya, controller of BBC Radio 4 and director of BBC speech audio, said: “Jenni Murray was a formidable voice in British broadcasting who was warm, fearless and beloved by listeners.

“During her decades at Woman’s Hour, she helped shape the national conversation with intelligence, rigour and a remarkable ability to connect with audiences.

“Jenni leaves an indelible legacy on generations of listeners. We are profoundly grateful for her outstanding contribution to Radio 4, and she will be deeply missed.”

Talent management firm Knight Ayton called her “a true professional and pioneer” who “interviewed every prime minister of the last 30 years”.

They added: “She was as comfortable with high-powered politicians as with the grieving parents of Madeleine McCann, and the first Hollywood star she encountered was Bette Davis.”

She was made a dame in 2011 in recognition of her contribution to broadcasting and was awarded an OBE in 1999.

During her tenure on Woman’s Hour, Dame Jenni interviewed high-profile figures such as Margaret Thatcher, Barbara Castle,‎ Shirley Williams, Gloria Steinem, Bette Davis, Monica Lewinsky and Hillary Clinton.

She also interviewed Anna Politkovskaya, Kate McCann, Margaret Atwood, Toni Morrison, Wangari Maathai, Benazir Bhutto, Dame Judi Dench, Saoirse Ronan and Joan Baez, who sang Diamonds And Rust in the studio especially for the host.

She signed off her final episode of Woman’s Hour in October 2020 with Helen Reddy’s feminist anthem I Am Woman.

Born in Barnsley, Dame Jenni joined BBC Radio Bristol in 1973 and went on to report and present for BBC TV’s South Today.

In 1983, she joined Newsnight before moving to Radio 4 for the Today programme.