Overview
- BBC and talent agency Knight Ayton confirmed her death as tributes from colleagues and public figures praised her impact, with BBC director-general Tim Davie calling her a broadcasting icon.
- She was Woman’s Hour’s longest-serving presenter from 1987 to 2020, bringing landmark interviews with figures including Margaret Thatcher, Hillary Clinton and Bette Davis.
- Her honours included a damehood in 2011, two Sony Awards and induction into the Radio Academy Hall of Fame, following an OBE in 1999.
- She disclosed a breast cancer diagnosis on air in 2006 and later spoke openly about treatment, menopause and other health experiences without a public link to her death.
- Recent work included a 2025 BBC Radio 3 series on women composers, and tributes highlighted her role in shaping national conversations on women’s lives, with Harriet Harman praising her as the broadcasting wing of the women’s movement.