John Humphrys criticises successors on 'irritating' Today programme

John Humphrys, who presented BBC Radio 4's Today programme for 33 years, is now a listener and expresses dissatisfaction with the current version of the show. He writes in The Guardian that he has become a man shouting at his radio about how irritating the programme has become.

His criticism is not aimed at the tone of interviews, which often drew complaints during his tenure, but at the effusive exchanges between presenters. He points to excessive gratitude expressed between host and guest, such as “Thank you SO much for inviting me on!” and notes that few guests fail to curry favour with the interviewer. Humphrys also criticises presenters occasionally chatting among themselves about the significance of a recent interview, which he says even some presenters find uncomfortable.

He also expresses annoyance at verbal tics like constant “y'know” and “I mean”. In particular, Humphrys singles out presenter Amol Rajan, who has announced he is leaving the show to pursue his own business in the creator economy. Humphrys writes: “A prime example would be Amol Rajan’s insistence on emphasising, without fail, the definite and indefinite articles in any given sentence. In his world, ‘A’ bomb has exploded in ‘THE’ Palace of Westminster.”

Despite the criticism, there is genuine dismay inside the show at Rajan's departure, with senior figures seeing his engaging style as crucial for keeping it relevant. Today still commands well over 5 million listeners a week. Humphrys admits BBC executives may view his feedback as a pain, and says he may stop listening if budget cuts go further. He writes: “Otiose? Almost always. Irritating? Profoundly. But would I really die on this hill? Possibly not.”