Former BBC Woman's Hour host Dame Jenni Murray dies aged 75
Journalist and broadcaster Dame Jenni Murray, who presented BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour programme for over 30 years, has died at the age of 75.
Former BBC Woman's Hour host Dame Jenni Murray has died at the age of 75.
The journalist and broadcaster, who was the longest-serving presenter of the BBC Radio 4 programme having hosted the show from 1987 until 2020, passed away on March 12.
Jenni - who was awarded a damehood in 2011 for services to broadcasting - interviewed figures such as Margaret Thatcher and Hillary Clinton during her stint on the radio show.
A statement shared by her family to the Daily Mail newspaper, where she penned a weekly column, confirmed "the very sad news that their much loved mum and wife, Jenni Murray, died on March 12th".
Paying tribute, BBC director-general Tim Davie 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."
Her cause of death has not yet been revealed.
Murray grew up in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, and started her media career in 1973 with a job presenting local radio in Bristol.
She went on to become a reporter for the regional TV news programme South Today from 1978 and 1983.
Jenni then worked on the BBC's Newsnight for two years as both a newsreader and presenter before switching to Radio 4 to present the Today programme.
In 1987, she took over as presenter of Woman's Hour and would go on to host the programme for more than three decades - notably revealing that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer whilst on air in 2006.
As well as her radio work, Jenni penned several books and also made an appearance on the ITV show The Real Full Monty in 2020, which saw celebrities strip off to raise funds for cancer charities.
BBC Radio 4 controller Mohit Bakaya said of the presenter: "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."
