{UAH} John Humphrys' last Today programme review – a too long lap of honour
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John Humphrys' last Today programme review – a too long lap of honour
After 32 years as Today's grand inquisitor, Humphrys bowed out with Dame Edna and lots of back-slapping. At least someone brought up the 'thrown typewriter' incident ...
During his 32 years on the Today programme, John Humphrys has been called many things – grand inquisitor, overpaid, sexist – but never, until this morning, retiring.
The dilemma on a presenter's farewell show is balancing the usual format with back-slapping. It must have been frustrating for the 76-year-old journalist to go out on a slow news morning, with the two biggest stories – the Supreme Court hearing on Prime Minister Johnson's suspension of parliament, President Trump's response to Iran – to pay off later.
This left room – perhaps too much – for laps of honour. Humphrys talked to Tony Blair about the history of political interviewing. "You own the rebarbative form of interviewing!" the former PM praised him. "I'm a seeker after truth!" boasted the host.
Rabbi Lord Sacks, presenting Thought for the Day, compared the presenter to the Old Testament prophets for "speaking truth unto power." Critics of the religious interlude will note that, while atheists are banned from presenting it, Humphrys' godlessness oddly did not preclude him being its subject.
Back-announcing that item, Humphrys sounded suddenly throaty and chokey, stumbling. Otherwise, he seemed much himself. It felt characteristically cussed that he continued to the end to pronounce the Mayor of London's name as Sad-eek Khan, despite his recent revalation that it is said Sard-ik; another link suggested that Humphrys thinks Downton Abbey, which left the schedules in 2015, is still on TV.
For his last slot, editor Sarah Sands paired Humphrys with Justin Webb. This was a risky choice, as the departing veteran has been increasingly attacked as the Alpha Plus Male in a show dominated, until very recently, by men. Perhaps, though, Webb was the least likely to use a final co-appearance to suggest inheritance of the mantle. Webb also avoided repeating his recent claim in Radio Times that Humphrys' attitude to producers could lead him to "shout at them … throw things even", a long-reputed aspect of his temperament that was ignored during the three final hours of national treasuring from the BBC.
The clear highlight was Dame Edna Everage (Humphries v Humphrys), which brought the Today programme a humour it usually lacks. "Can't follow that!" said Webb. "Makes everything to come look very …" Realising he might be ensuring that this was his own last programme as well, Webb added "well … let's see!"
Nothing did match the Australian diva. Humphrys' reputation was built around his ferocious 08:10 interviews, but his final encounter suggested he may have found the right time to go. For the last guest, Today wanted Boris Johnson, and would have settled for Jeremy Corbyn. But the current PM's barking svengali, Dominic Cummings, has declared the programme irrelevant, and Corbyn has not appeared on the show for three years.
In the absence of present leaders, the last big political arse on the chair was David Cameron, on the day of publication of his memoirs, For The Record. Unfortunately, Cameron had already spoken at length to The Times and Tom Bradby on ITV, while Today's own main headline quoted comments made by Cameron in a two-part BBC One interview.
Thus, on his last day, Humphrys was very obviously going last with Cameron, and got nothing new. The grand inquisitor went as he had always carried on, at one point he and Cameron raising their voices incoherently over each other in the disputatious duet that was Humphrys' signature.
In the last 10 minutes, present and past co-presenters crowded into the studio. It had the feel of the reading of a will, with everyone worrying someone else may get a bigger percentage of the legacy than them. The alleged "thrown typewriter" incident was brought up, but lost in congratulatory cackling.
The last two minutes were a monologue from Humphrys. Consciously or not, the coda echoed the final morning send-off of another radio great, Terry Wogan, almost exactly a decade ago. As then, the climactic gratitude went to the listeners: "My thanks, finally, to you! I feel I have got to know you over the decades." Audibly emotional after what has been a magnificent, if ultimately overextended, chapter in radio news broadcasting, he could barely croak out the last "good morning". Then, sorry, John, we have to stop you there.
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