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John Humphrys poses outside the BBC offices in London on his last day at Today.
John Humphrys poses outside the BBC offices in London on his last day at Today. Photograph: Will Oliver/EPA
John Humphrys poses outside the BBC offices in London on his last day at Today. Photograph: Will Oliver/EPA

John Humphrys: next BBC director general must be female

This article is more than 4 years old

Former Today presenter tells festival audience that BBC’s equality record has improved

John Humphrys has said it “outrageous” and “plain wrong” that the BBC has never had a woman as director general.

The journalist, who retired from presenting Radio 4’s Today Programme last month, said whoever succeeded Tony Hall to be in charge of the corporation should be a woman.

Humphrys was speaking at the Cheltenham literature festival where, in a wide-ranging discussion, he took offence at a suggestion he was a misogynist, and accused the BBC of having a “liberal, left” agenda that was “sympathetic” rather than “detached” when it came to contemporary social issues such as transgender rights.

He said that after the former China editor Carrie Gracie spoke out over her pay gap case, things had improved at the BBC in terms of gender equality. But he added: “I think it is probably more likely the case you are to get a senior management job if you are male than female.

“It is still outrageous that the BBC, which is nearly 100 years old, has never had a woman director general and I think that is just plain wrong and the next one has to be, in my view.”

Humphrys admitted he had been stupid in having a jokey conversation with the BBC’s North America editor Jon Sopel, where he appeared to make light of the pay gap issue.

But he was rattled by suggestions he should have apologised to Gracie over the leaked recording.

“What should I be apologising for?” he asked. “We were not having a go at Carrie Gracie … we were taking the mickey out of each other. Stupid thing to do.

“The tone was entirely jokey … so no, apologise for what? I did drop her a little line to say I’m sorry if you’ve been embarrassed by our stupid conversation, but I didn’t apologise for what I said because I didn’t say anything that was offensive to Carrie.”

Humphrys said the BBC’s handling of the transgender rights debate was emblematic of the “liberal, left” agenda of senior managers.

He said most people who became big bosses at the BBC had gone to decent universities, and probably took liberal arts degrees with lecturers and professors on the left of politics.

“They have assimilated that. It’s not that they come to the BBC with a specific agenda but their mindset is that of a liberal left agenda.

“If you take something like, for instance, transgender. Their mindset is such that you must, kind of, accept what the prevailing view is. Except that their idea of the prevailing view and, perhaps, mine might be slightly different.

“I happen to believe personally that there are not an unlimited number of genders. I believe we are born men and women. I also believe that there are people who are born with a serious problem, they really are born into the wrong body and they must be helped obviously.

“Trans people obviously must be both helped and respected. However, I get slightly worried when large numbers of children, I emphasise children, are being told that ‘well yes, we think that you might be a girl … a boy … we’d better get you medical attention.’ I’m uneasy about that. I’m uneasy about children being told in school there are more than 100 different genders.

“I’m worried about the way that whole debate is moving and the effect it is having on some children.

“The BBC’s attitude with that sort of social development is to be immediately sympathetic, not entirely detached as I believe they should be, but sympathetic and that worries me.”

Humphrys was asked by one audience member whether he was a misogynist. “I think that’s an offensive question. Got any evidence?” No, came the answer. “In that case I’ll leave it there,” Humphrys said.

More on this story

More on this story

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  • From Brexit to Brahms: John Humphrys returns to radio

  • John Humphrys attacks BBC's 'liberal bias' days after retiring

  • John Humphrys' highs and lows as he prepares to exit Today

  • John Humphrys ends Today career with swipe at Corbyn and Johnson

  • The John Humphrys 'paradox': rottweiler or shy Welsh walker?

  • Rows, bloopers and scoops: John Humphrys’ 32 years at Today

  • John Humphrys has lost touch with the times. He’s right to call it a day

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