Louise Botting, the first presenter of BBC Radio 4's Money Box, has died at the age of 87. She launched the programme in 1977 and presented it for 15 years, alongside figures such as Peter Hobday and Vincent Duggleby.
Career and departure from the BBC
Botting resigned from the show in 1992 when she was asked to join the board of London Weekend Television. The BBC insisted there was a conflict of interest, although she initially had no intention of quitting. She later recalled telling bosses: "Oh well, I'm going, and by the way there's a Budget next week!"
She went on to become a professional pension trustee for Channel 4 and WHSmith, and received a CBE from John Major for her services to journalism.
Personal life and family
Although she was offered television work, Botting always turned it down. In 1987, the BBC asked her to replace Valerie Singleton on The Money Programme, but she refused, asking: "Why would I want people to see me grow old on television?"
Botting was married to author and adventurer Douglas Botting, who died in 2018. They dissolved the marriage in 1985, and she later married Les Carpenter, remaining with him until his death in 2020. She had two daughters, Kate and Anna Botting, with her first husband.
Legacy and death
Anna Botting is best known for her work on Sky News, which she joined in 1995. She followed in her mother's footsteps, beginning her career at BBC's Look North. Louise Botting also inspired a satirical comedy song by comedian Chris Morris, which premiered in 1990 and included the lyrics: "Louise Botting and her fiscal totting/Will stop your finance clotting/So you can afford to go yachting./Oh frankly I am hotting/To do some frotting/With horny Louise Botting."
Louise Botting died after a "short illness" on September 22.
