Dame Jenni Murray, who hosted BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour for more than three decades and was a Daily Mail columnist, has died at the age of 75.
Her family said they wished to share ‘the very sad news that their much loved mum and wife, Jenni Murray, died on March 12th’.
One of the nation’s most prominent and respected broadcasters, Dame Jenni joined Woman’s Hour in 1987 and left in 2020 as its longest-serving presenter.
During her time on the show, the formidable presenter conducted memorable interviews with female figures as varied as Bette Davis, Margaret Thatcher, Hillary Clinton and Margaret Atwood.
In a heartfelt tribute BBC director-general Tim Davie described her as a ‘broadcasting icon’.
He 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 groundbreaking 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.’
Dame Jenni Murray, who hosted BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour for more than three decades, has died at the age of 75
One of the nation’s most prominent and respected broadcasters, Dame Jenni joined Woman’s Hour in 1987 and left in 2020 as its longest-serving presenter
She received her damehood in 2011 in recognition of her contribution to broadcasting, and also won two Sony Awards and was made a member of the Radio Academy Hall of Fame during her career.
In 2006, true to her belief in being straight with her listeners, Dame Jenni announced on air that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer.
She underwent a mastectomy and chemotherapy before returning to Radio 4.
Rising from a grammar school education in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, she went on to study French and drama at the University of Hull before launching a career that would make her one of the most recognisable voices in British radio.
She first took to the airwaves in 1973 on local radio in Bristol, later becoming a familiar face on BBC TV’s South Today between 1978 and 1983.
But it was on Woman’s Hour – the programme devoted to ‘women’s voices and women’s lives’ – where she truly made her mark, taking over from Sue MacGregor and transforming it into a national institution.
She once said it was no surprise that she had chosen to champion women’s issues in the media as she ‘recognised very early on that girls did not have it as easy as boys did’.
Murray became renowned for her sharp interviewing style and willingness to tackle difficult subjects head-on.
Vintage moments from her tenure included a tense confrontation with Mrs Thatcher over childcare policies, a flirtatious exchange with Jack Nicholson, and probing questions to Edwina Currie about her affair with John Major.
Radio presenter Jenni Murray as a child, in her Coronation frock
She also famously asked Hillary Clinton how she could forgive her husband Bill’s infidelity.
Among her most treasured memories was interviewing her musical hero Joan Baez – an encounter she described as ‘the peak of my career’.
Listeners also connected with her honesty off-script. She spoke movingly about her own breast cancer diagnosis, as well as candidly discussing her weight loss surgery and experiences of the menopause – breaking taboos for many women across the country.
Her contribution to broadcasting was formally recognised in 2011 when she was awarded a damehood, alongside two Sony Awards and a place in the Radio Academy Hall of Fame.
She made headlines in 2018 when she withdrew from an Oxford University talk following backlash over comments on transgender issues.
Even in lighter moments, she remained a cultural fixture – making a cameo appearance in BBC satire W1A in 2015, where she interviewed Hugh Bonneville’s character in a spoof Woman’s Hour segment.
Her final programme in 2020 was a fitting farewell. Novelist and poet Jackie Kay praised her for ‘holding up a mirror to the real world and everything that’s been going on in it’, while Harriet Harman hailed her ‘tremendous legacy’.
And fittingly she signed off her final episode of Woman’s Hour in October 2020 with Helen Reddy’s feminist anthem I Am Woman.
As tributes poured in, Dianne Nelme , creator of ITV’s This Morning and Loose Women, said Murray was a woman always ahead of the curve. She said: ‘Although Jenni was a BBC heavyweight, I persuaded her several times to present highly successful ITV series for me.
‘She was a beacon for communicating tough and important issues to a female audience because she had an authenticity and ordinariness that belied her enormous intellect and journalistic talent.
‘In the late 90’s Jenni was a staunch ally in my broadcast crusade against domestic violence: always ready to present my programmes or support me at a Refuge charity event. Her BBC radio voice will stay with me forever.’
Another came from Mohit Bakaya, controller of BBC Radio 4 and director of BBC speech audio, who 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.’
And one from her talent management firm Knight Ayton who said Dame Jenni Murray was a ‘true professional and a pioneer’.
In a statement they said: ‘We are very sad to learn of the death of Dame Jenni Murray.
‘We started representing Jenni in 2020 as she was leaving Woman’s Hour after a long career at Radio 4.
‘True to her spirit of fun, she surprised many by taking part in ITV’s The Real Full Monty to great acclaim the same year. The announcement of her participation made front page news. Her reason for taking part was simple. To encourage more women to check for breast cancer.
‘Last year she returned to the BBC to present a series for Radio 3, Jenni Murray’s Women Composers. We loved working Jenni, a true professional and pioneer.
‘She interviewed every prime minister of the last 30 years, 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.
‘The late foreign correspondent Charles Wheeler described Jenni as having ‘the most beautiful voice on the radio – ever’.’
Rachael Franklin, chief engagement officer at Breast Cancer Now, also added that said the charity was ‘incredibly grateful’ to the late broadcaster Dame Jenni Murray.
She said: ‘We’re incredibly sad to hear of the death of our long-standing vice-patron Dame Jenni Murray and our thoughts are with her family at this incredibly sad time.
‘Dame Jenni became our vice-patron in 2007, the year after her own breast cancer diagnosis, and supported Breast Cancer Now for nearly 20 years.
‘We’re incredibly grateful to her for using her platform and influence to raise awareness of the realities of breast cancer and helping those living with the disease to feel less alone.
‘Most recently she supported the charity by hosting a panel discussion on body image and identity where she openly shared the lasting impact surgery had on her.’
Dame Jenni leaves behind her husband, David Forgham, and her two children.
