Singer Ellie Goulding and TV host James May are lined up to guest host BBC Radio 4’s Today programme this Christmas.
They’ll be joined by five others who will each guest edit the show between Saturday 23 December and Monday 1 January:
- Andrew Malkinson – cleared this year after being wrongfully convicted and jailed for 17 years
- Dame Emma Walmsley – CEO global biopharma company, GSK
- Hanif Kureishi – Author and screenwriter
- Professor Jason Arday – sociologist, writer and fundraiser
- Dr Nicky Fox – Associate Administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate
Each programme will include an interview with the Guest Editor and each editor will have the support of Today producers and reporters to bring their ideas to air and to make sure they adhere to BBC editorial guidelines.
In the run up to Christmas, Today will also broadcast items from the guest edit archive. Throughout December the programme will showcase some of the most surprising items suggested by Today guest editors over the last two decades, including recordings from Jarvis Cocker and PD James’ programmes.
Owenna Griffiths, Editor of the Today programme, says: “Over the past twenty years, the guest editors on Today have become a highlight of the Christmas period. This year is no exception. I’m enormously grateful to all these guest editors who will give up their time to bring new stories, different perspectives and a little festive cheer to the Today audience.”
The Today programme has welcomed various Guest Editors over the years, including Prince Harry, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, Lord Botham, Greta Thunberg, Angelina Jolie, Raheem Stirling, Prue Leith, Benjamin Zephaniah, Melinda Gates, George the Poet, Jarvis Cocker, Lewis Hamilton and Professor Stephen Hawking.