What makes a good interviewer? A forensic approach a la Brian Walden, an aggressive, inquisitive nature like Jeremy Paxman or a softly softly catchee monkey like Sir David Frost? Each to his own I suppose. My favourites, for what it's worth are Peter Allen & Jane Garvey on 5 Live and Adam Boulton on Sky News.
I agree with you on Peter Allen & Jane Garvey.
ReplyDeleteI also thought you might be interested to know Adam Boulton has followed Nick Robinson in getting his own blog.
Andrew Neil's readiness to jump on any bullshit from politicans is admirable.
ReplyDeleteAndrew Marr's Sunday AM combination of culture and politics does not work. Culture vultures and political anoraks alike are both irritated by the combination.
"That was the Iranian foreign minister, here are the Cheeky Girls perfoming Touch My Bum"
I rate Andrew Neil as a TV interviewer - he consistently asks the questions that I would want to ask, and he understands the real political issues really well.
ReplyDeleteI think Sarah Montague is the worst on radio.
oops. forgot to put Andrew Neil on the list. I hang my head in shame...
ReplyDeleteWell, I'm another person who would have voted for Andrew Neill, if only you'd included him!
ReplyDeleteWhat about the BBC's Political Editor Nick Robinson?
ReplyDeleteNo doubt about it - Andrew Neil is the best - by miles, absolutely no danger. I watch him every day on the 'Daily Politics' - he is fantastic. He knows all the dodges, all the body swerves, all the politico b/s from guests fresh from the media classes of their particular parties.
ReplyDeleteWhereas Paxman and Peter Allen get a bit irritated at a politician's evasiveness, Neil has said in the past "If you don't answer my question, I'm going to get really angry".....
You somehow sense a Glasgow kiss is on the way.
He also very regularly reads out my emails to the show, which is nice - and he is one of the very few interviewers to ask "What about the English' when discussing Education, Health and the like.
Neil rocks, OK!!!!
Well of course, it has to be Jeremy Paxman and Kirsty Wark. Their inquisitive nature and relentlessness keeps politicians on their toes. They are,, respectively, the Sir Robin Day and David Dimbleby of their generation.
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