John Humphrys was the first of the BBC's journalists to present front-line news programmes on both television and radio:
Today on Radio Four and Television News on BBC1. He also presents "On the Record" on BBC1, "On the Ropes" on Radio Four and a few other things besides. In one five-day period he presented Today, the Six o'clock News, On the Record, Panorama and the Nine o'clock News. But he insists that he's not a workaholic - just a work enthusiast.
John Humphrys was a foreign correspondent with the BBC for ten years and over the years he's reported on most major international events, ranging fro the Watergate crisis and resignation of Richard Nixon to the first free elections in South Africa, revolutions in Latin America, and assorted wars in all parts of the globe. He was based in Washington for six years (the youngest journalist ever to be appointed as a foreign correspondent in BBC Television News) and in Southern Africa for three years.
John Humphrys began his career in newspapers and spent two years in Independent Television as a script-writer and reporter. He's won a number of national awards, including his most prized: the Special Award of the Plain English Campaign.
John Humphrys became a controversial figure in March, 1995 when he was attacked for his style of interviewing by the Conservative cabinet minister Jonathan Aitken. The BBC was swamped with letters and phone calls, more than ninety per cent of which supported Humphrys. Many other politicians and public figures rose to his defence as did newspapers of all persuasions.
The Daily Mail described John Humphrys as "one of the most brilliant journalists in the country" and the Express ran a column demanding "Humphrys for prime minister". It concluded: "Politics would be richer, but the BBC would probably close down through lack of interest". Within six months of the Labour government taking over, Humphrys was being attacked by them. Downing Street demanded that the BBC do something about what it called "the John Humphrys problem". Again the Press and public rose to his defence. Several newspapers claimed that Humphrys wasn't the problem; he was the solution. And he was dubbed a "national treasure".
John Humphrys chairs conferences and debates on most subjects, and has developed a particular expertise in Information Technology and financial matters. He makes what he modestly describes as brilliantly witty after dinner speeches.... with a unique approach. Humphrys bought a dairy farm in 1980 and made a brave attempt to turn it into an organic operation. In his spare time he tries to play the cello and conducts a one-man crusade to rescue the English language from those who are corrupting it with Americanised jargon and meaningless business non-speak. He admits failure on both fronts.... but he's not giving up.