“You silver-tongued Lothario” said Moira Stuart at the end of a bulletin as she bantered with the man she’d last worked with 35 years prior.
28th October 2019 saw John Humphrys make his debut on Classic FM, filling in for a week on the ‘More Music Breakfast', normally hosted by Tim Lihoreau.
John observed he was the ‘new kid on the block’ – ‘new to presenting a programme like this on a station like this’. ‘Beethoven and Brahms instead of Brexit’. Maybe the most similar environment was his delightful interview on Essential Classics on Radio 3.
To say he is a pro would be an understatement. John was born to do radio like this, just as he was destined for his news work. He fitted the gig like a hand into a glove, and it was truly inspired casting by Global.
John slipped naturally into the typical presenter gig of announcing music and chatting about nothing in particular – but every presenter knows, actually, how difficult that effortless chat to no-one really is. Anecdotes flowed naturally, from a TV columnist’s view of the Attenborough programme to gifted story telling of how he felt when sitting watching his son play his first solo performance as cellist.
How oddly amusing to hear him talk around ad breaks - and read out text numbers and messages.
John has a voice to die for, and his fruity tones shake the loudspeakers in a way not witnessed since Wogan - caressing every syllable of every word. Here was a presenter of Ray Moore calibre and a sort of radio which has a real place in the UK market.
“It’s been a pleasure” he said with true feeling as the programme closed. It was the same to listen to. This is what I always imagined him doing, and I’m so glad he has. Well done, John - and well done, Global for another class move.
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