Giving Women a Voice with Dame Jenni Murray DBE

Giving women a voice is exactly what Jenni Murray DBE has been doing for the last three decades; from the most famous and most influential, to the unknown and unheard. She has tackled contemporary issues and was laser focused on making sure that women have a platform to share their views and concerns. Men too were dedicated listeners, as it was an insightful way to learn about women and how they think.

Jenni sat down with Gillian Reynolds CBE, radio critic of the Sunday Times, and gave an insider's view on her remarkable life and career.

At the age of 14, Jenni first realized that she was a feminist, after an eye-opening conversation with her mother about why she didn’t get a job (‘people will think daddy can’t afford to keep us’). The best manager she ever had gave her the sage advice that in order for her to survive in the media business, she had to be able to do everything across radio, print, and TV.

Jenni trusted herself most. While working her way up in broadcasting and seeing how others operated, she realised her biggest influence was herself, rather than those around her. She also instinctively knew how to write for radio, was a master at the art of framing a question and being a careful listener.

Over the years, some of Jenni’s most memorable conversations were with the likes of Bette Davis, Hillary Clinton and Jack Nicholson (yes, she fancied him). The one that got away? If she could have interviewed anyone about the pandemic, it would have been Angela Merkel, the woman she considers the toughest she’s ever observed.

Iconic and at times controversial, Jenni’s most recent books are Fat, Cow, Fat Chance and A History of the World in 21 Women.