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

Veteran broadcaster interviewed prominent female leaders including Margaret Thatcher and Hillary Clinton Jenni Murray, the broadcaster who hosted BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour for more than 30 years, has died at the age of 75. Murray joined the programme in 1987 and presented it until she departed as its longest-serving presenter in 2020. She was awarded a damehood in 2011 in recognition of her contribution to broadcasting. During her three decades fronting the show, the presenter interviewed a wide variety of influential women, including Margaret Thatcher, Hillary Clinton, the writer Margaret Atwood and the actor Bette Davis. In 2006, Murray announced on air that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. She returned to the programme after undergoing surgery and treatment. During her career, she won two Sony Awards and entered the Radio Academy Hall of Fame. Tim Davie, the BBC’s outgoing director general, said Murray was “simply put, a broadcasting icon”. “Throughout her three groundbreaking decades on Woman’s Hour, Jenni created a safe space for her audience thanks to her warmth, intelligence and courage,” he said. “Her legacy endures in the countless conversation