Dame Laura Kenny will be one of six public figures who will guest edit BBC Radio 4’s Today programme over Christmas, the BBC has revealed. The British cyclist will editorially shape episodes of the news programme over the festive period. Others who will take the reins include author Frank Cottrell Boyce, the current children’s laureate, former Chancellor of the Exchequer Sir Sajid Javid, and TV presenter Baroness Floella Benjamin.
Adventurer and presenter Dwayne Fields and neuroscientist and vice-chancellor of the University of Oxford, Irene Tracey, complete this year’s line-up. Public figures guest-editing during Christmas and New Year is something the Radio 4 programme has done for over two decades. Famous celebrities including Angelina Jolie, Stephen Hawking, Bono and Margaret Atwood, to name a few, have been previous guest editors.
Each of the six public figures will edit an episode, featuring items on various subjects. The media has teased about what each episode will explore. Frank Cottrell-Boyce’s programme, to be broadcast on Christmas Eve, will look at the role reading can play in shaping children’s lives, homelessness, and chronic pain relief. Boxing Day will see Dwayne Fields edit a program with items on homelessness and the value to communities of volunteering.
Sir Sajid Javid’s episode on 27 December will include items on the benefits and risks of artificial intelligence (AI) as well as the BBC children’s program ‘Grange Hill’. Professor Tracey’s programme on 28 December will see her explore chronic pain relief developments and the role that universities play in society. Baroness Benjamin’s episode will explore the quality of children’s television, including an examination of the move from public service broadcasters. Dame Laura Kenny’s episode will explore the impact elite sport has on women’s bodies, including provision for physical education in schools.
Today’s editor, Owenna Griffiths, commented, “Every year I look forward to the fresh ideas, hidden stories and unexpected perspectives the guest editors bring to Today. This year is no exception with an outstanding line-up that promises to bring warmth and light to the festive season. I’m very grateful to all of them for giving up their time to edit Today.
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