BEHIND THE VOICE
Name of radio station: Oneword
Name/age of presenter: Iain Dale, 40
Name of the show: Planet Politics
Time broadcast and length of show. Live/recorded: First Wednesday of the month at 10pm, First Saturday of the month at 6.30pm
Describe your show in five words: Intelligent conversation about political books
What has been your best broadcasting moment? Catching the Sports Minister Richard Caborn out while doing an impromptu sports quiz when I was co-presenting Radio 5 Live’s Sunday Service
And the most embarrassing? Interviewing Mo Mowlam about her memoirs. She walked into the studio an greeted us with “hello you w*****s”. For the sound check she burped into the microphone and the interview went downhill from there.
Who¹s your dream guest? If I could reach beyond the grave I would choose Richard Nixon, one of the most complex but fascinating figures in recent political history. Of today’s politicians I recently had Tony Benn and Edwina Currie on for separate one-on-ones, which went like a dream – they can both talk for England.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I would love to be able to put a stop to a very annoying habit of falling asleep after reading 5 pages of a book. I’ve been reading Roy Jenkins’ Churchill for about four months now…
Tell us something about yourself that your listeners don¹t know... I am a season ticket holder at West Ham and an avid fan of the Eurovision Song Contest. I can sense the audience figures plummeting already.
Any broadcasting heroes? Sir Robin Day. I got to know him a little just before he died. He was a brilliant interviewer in a way I can only dream of emulating. Fi Glover on Five Live is a broadcaster I respect hugely. I presented with her on Sunday Service a few times and she’s a natural.
What is your first radio memory? Playing Beat the Jock on Mike Read’s Radio 1 Breakfast Show when I was about 14. I lost.
What are you doing after work tonight?
Going home to Tunbridge Wells and my Jack Russell called Gio. Another night in with a West Wing video looms.
Complete the phrase: If I hadn¹t been a radio presenter I¹d have been
a...
political know it all. In fact, that’s what many people think I am. Apart from my radio/TV work I own Westminster’s political bookshop, Politico’s and am also trying to be an MP. Well someone’s gotta do it!
