Dame Jenni Murray, the veteran broadcaster who presented BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour for more than three decades, has died at the age of 75. She joined the programme in 1987 and became its longest-serving presenter before departing in 2020.
Murray interviewed numerous influential women during her tenure, including Margaret Thatcher, Hillary Clinton, Margaret Atwood and Bette Davis. She was awarded a damehood in 2011 for her contribution to broadcasting and won two Sony Awards, entering the Radio Academy Hall of Fame.
In 2006, she announced on air that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer, returning after surgery and treatment. Tim Davie, the BBC’s outgoing director general, described her as “a broadcasting icon”, praising her warmth, intelligence and courage. Mohit Bakaya, controller of BBC Radio 4, called her a “formidable voice in British broadcasting”.
Born in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, Murray joined the BBC at 23 after a second attempt, starting in local radio in Bristol in 1973. She later presented BBC’s South Today, worked on Newsnight and the Today programme before replacing Sue MacGregor on Woman’s Hour.
Murray was known for her fearless interviewing style. She challenged Thatcher on childcare policies and asked Clinton about forgiving her husband’s infidelity. She signed off her final programme with Helen Reddy’s feminist anthem I Am Woman.
In later years, Murray became a campaigner for tighter pornography laws and was critical of the BBC, particularly over its handling of transgender issues. She wrote in her Daily Mail column that her views on “the trans question” led to her departure from Woman’s Hour.
