John Humphrys, Classic FM debut - 2019

Episode 1651,   Oct 28, 2019, 01:07 PM

“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.