LEGENDS OF NEWS with DERMOT MURNAGHAN

• Gavin Esler on 40 Years at the BBC: Clinton's Early Years, Newsnight and Meeting Dolly Parton

  In this episode, Dermot Murnaghan sits down with journalist, author and broadcaster Gavin Esler for a wide-ranging conversation that spans Northern Ireland, the White House, and a memorable visit to Dolly Parton’s home. Gavin opens up about his early career during the Troubles, his run-ins with BBC bureaucracy, and the journalism that helped free innocent men wrongly imprisoned after IRA bombings. He reflects on his years in the United States reporting on Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, his time anchoring Newsnight during its heyday, and how both the media landscape and political accountability have changed. Gavin also reveals: What it was like to report on Obama’s rise, from Chicago blues clubs Why sectarian football chants nearly turned him off the game The challenge of holding power to account in an age of "truth decay" For more information email [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Nick Owen: Five decades in journalism, live television, and sport

  In this episode, Dermot Murnaghan talks to broadcaster Nick Owen about a career that began in local newspapers and led to national fame—culminating in his role at the heart of breakfast television during the 1980s. Nick shares how he helped rescue a failing TV-am, the unexpected promotion that made him front-page news, and what he learned working alongside Anne Diamond. He also speaks openly about his prostate cancer diagnosis, the surgery that followed, and why he’s now backing calls for a national screening programme. Nick also reveals: Why he nearly turned down TV-am—until a hotel TV in Sydney changed his mind How Greg Dyke and Anne Diamond helped turn the show around Why he's urging men to get tested and pushing for a national campaignA story of a life in news and sport—and a fight to help save men’s lives. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Anne Diamond OBE: Behind TV-am’s turnaround, ’80s tabloid frenzy and the campaign to save babies’ lives

  In this episode, Dermot Murnaghan is joined by broadcasting legend Anne Diamond OBE, for a journey through journalism, personal loss, and untold wartime history. From turning around TV-am to uncovering her father’s secret role in inventing radar, Anne reflects on a career built on curiosity, compassion, and determination.She opens up about the behind-the-scenes battles at TV-am, being tabloid fodder in the '80s, and how tragedy spurred her to launch a public health campaign that saved tens of thousands of babies' lives.Anne also reveals:Why Dennis Healey stormed off live TV after challenging her on airWhat it took to cover the fall of the Berlin Wall as chaos unfolded around herHow she coped with grief and turned it into a national campaignA broadcaster who defined morning television — and turned personal experience into lasting change for families nationwide. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Sir Trevor McDonald: From offending Thatcher to facing Saddam and fronting News at Ten

  In this episode, Sir Trevor McDonald joins Dermot Murnaghan to reflect on a broadcasting career that spanned generations. From his early days in Trinidad to fronting News at Ten, he recalls the clashes and confidences that shaped a lifetime in journalism: arguing with Margaret Thatcher over Nelson Mandela, walking silently through Saddam Hussein’s palace, facing down George W. Bush in the Oval Office, and listening to the quiet wisdom of a newly freed Mandela.In this episode, Trevor explains:Why he once feared Thatcher would never speak to him againWhat happened when George W. Bush ended their interview—and gave a personal tour insteadHow Saddam tried to charm him, and why he refused to shake the dictator’s handWhat Mandela taught him about forgiveness, dignity, and the power of dialogueWhy the news must remain impartial—and why his own views were never the pointA portrait of a journalist whose voice became part of national life, and the reason Britain tuned in at ten. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Jonathan Dimbleby: Millions tuned in midweek—and it mattered

  In this episode, Jonathan Dimbleby joins Dermot Murnaghan to reflect on a career defined by the power of serious journalism. From the golden age of current affairs television to the frontlines of forgotten conflicts, Dimbleby was there when journalism reached millions and meant something.He looks back on the moments that shaped him: the famine footage he had to smuggle out of Ethiopia, the quiet clarity of interviewing a reluctant Prince of Wales, and the long-form political encounters that held leaders to account before time limits and soundbites took over.In this episode, Jonathan explains:Why one of his earliest newsreading jobs ended in professional humiliationWhat it was like to sit down with politicians when interviews could still challenge powerWhat he still sees in King Charles, decades after their landmark interviewA reminder of a time when broadcast journalism had the time, the courage and an audience that cared. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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