''Any Questions?'' is a British topical discussion programme "in which a panel of personalities from the worlds of

politics Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that stud ...

, media, and elsewhere are posed questions by the audience". It is typically broadcast on

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...

on Fridays at 8 pm and repeated the following day at 1:10 pm. ''Any Questions?'' is also available on BBC Sounds.

Origins and scheduling

''Any Questions?'' was first broadcast in October 1948, beginning as a fortnightly programme on the

West of England West of England is a combined authority area in South West England. It is made up of the Bristol, South Gloucestershire, and Bath and North East Somerset unitary authorities. The combined authority is led by the Mayor of the West of England Dan ...

Home Service Home Service is a British folk rock group, formed in late 1980 from a nucleus of musicians who had been playing in Ashley Hutchings' Albion Band. Their career is generally agreed to have peaked with the album ''Alright Jack'', and has had an ...

and was originally intended to run for six editions only. It became a weekly programme in September 1949, broadcast live in the West Region on Friday evenings with a national repeat transmission on the Home Service up to six days later. This pattern changed in September 1950 when the live Friday broadcast was switched to the

BBC Light Programme The BBC Light Programme was a national radio station which broadcast chiefly mainstream light entertainment and light music from 1945 until 1967, when it was replaced by BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 1. It opened on 29 July 1945, taking over the ...

( BBC Radio 2 from October 1967), although the discussion still came from venues in the West of England and the programme continued to be repeated later on the Home Service (

from October 1967). On 10 April 1970, the Friday broadcast moved to Radio 4, which has broadcast both the live and the recorded editions of ''Any Questions?'' ever since.

Presenters

''Any Questions?'' was chaired by

Freddie Grisewood Frederick Henry Grisewood OBE (11 April 1888 – 15 November 1972) was a British broadcaster, who had a long and varied career with the BBC. He was perhaps best known for being the host of ''Any Questions?'' from its inception in 1948 until ...

from 1948 to 1967, by David Jacobs from 1967 to 1984, by

John Timpson John Harry Robert Timpson, (2 July 1928 – 19 November 2005) was a British journalist, best known as a radio presenter. Early life Born at Ridgeholme, 53 The Ridgeway, Kenton, Middlesex, he was educated at Merchant Taylors' School, a boys' ...

from 1984 to 1987 and by

Jonathan Dimbleby Jonathan Dimbleby (born 31 July 1944) is a British presenter of current affairs and political radio and television programmes, author and historian. He is the son of Richard Dimbleby and younger brother of television presenter David Dimbleby. ...

from 1987 to 2019. In March 2019, Dimbleby announced that he would "stand down... at the end of June".

Shaun Ley Shaun Dominic Ley (born 14 June 1969) is a British journalist and newsreader for BBC News. A former regular presenter of ''The World This Weekend'' and ''The World at One'' on BBC Radio 4, he currently appears regularly on the BBC's domestic BBC ...

, Ritula Shah,

Ed Stourton Edward John Ivo Stourton(born November 1957) is a BBC broadcaster and presenter of the BBC Radio 4 programme '' Sunday'', and a frequent contributor to the ''Today'' programme, where for ten years he was one of the main presenters. He is the au ...

and

Julian Worricker Julian Gordon Worricker (born 6 January 1963 in Woking, Surrey) is an English journalist, currently working as one of the main presenters of ''Weekend'' on the BBC World Service, as stand in presenter of '' Any Answers'' on BBC Radio 4 and a relie ...

served as interim moderators. In October 2019, Chris Mason was announced as Dimbleby's successor. Following Mason's appointment as political editor of

BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...

in 2022, it was announced that Alex Forsyth would succeed him as regular presenter from November 2022.

Venues

BBC Radio 4 Any Questions Oxford University Catholic Chaplaincy

''Any Questions?'' is broadcast from a different location each week. Among others, ''Any Questions?'' has broadcast from educational institutions, performing arts venues, and religious and government buildings, including: * Rugby's

Ashlawn School Ashlawn School (or simply Ashlawn), is a large partially selective secondary school located in the Hillmorton area of Rugby, Warwickshire, England that specialises in science, computing and leadership. It is one of only five bilateral schools ...

Birmingham Repertory Theatre Birmingham Repertory Theatre, commonly called Birmingham Rep or just The Rep, is a producing theatre based on Centenary Square in Birmingham, England. Founded by Barry Jackson, it is the longest-established of Britain's building-based theatre ...

* Chichester's

Bishop Luffa School Bishop Luffa School, named after a former Bishop of Chichester, Ralph de Luffa, is a co-educational Church of England secondary school located in Chichester, West Sussex, England. The number of enrolled pupils was around 1,400 in 2010, in eight ...

* Runcorn's Bolingbroke Academy * Bridlington Priory * Brockenhurst College * Weybridge's

Brooklands College __NOTOC__ Brooklands College is a further education college in Weybridge and Ashford, England. In August 2007 Brooklands merged with Spelthorne College in Ashford. The Weybridge campus is in the grounds of Hugh F. Locke King's historic mansio ...

* Peterborough's Bushfield Academy * Aberystwyth's

Ceredigion Museum Ceredigion Museum ( cy, Amgueddfa Ceredigion) is a museum in Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Wales. Location Ceredigion Museum is located at the Coliseum, Terrace Road, Aberystwyth. It is housed in a restored Edwardian theatre and is managed by Ceredi ...

* Coventry Cathedral *

Crickhowell High School Crickhowell High School is an English medium co-educational secondary school situated in the town of Crickhowell in the county of Powys, Wales, within the Brecon Beacons National Park. The school was built to meet the needs of the growing commun ...

Falmouth University Falmouth University ( kw, Pennskol Aberfal) is a specialist public university for the creative industries based in Falmouth and Penryn, Cornwall, England. Founded as Falmouth School of Art in 1902, it was later known as Falmouth College of Ar ...

Giggleswick School Giggleswick School is a public school (English independent day and boarding school) in Giggleswick, near Settle, North Yorkshire, England. Early school In 1499, Giggleswick School was founded on half an acre of land leased by the Prior an ...

* Bath's

Hayesfield Girls' School Hayesfield Girls' School is an all-girls secondary school with a co-educational sixth form located in Bath, England. In August 2011, the school became an academy. The school operates from two main sites, about a seven-minute walk apart. The cam ...

* Cardiff's Hoddinott Hall * London's Lady Margaret School *

Leeds Minster Leeds Minster, or the Minster and Parish Church of Saint Peter-at-Leeds (formerly Leeds Parish Church) is the minster church of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It stands on the site of the oldest church in the city and is of architectural and l ...

* Horsforth's

Leeds Trinity University Leeds Trinity University is a public university in Horsforth, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Originally established to provide qualified teachers to Catholic schools, it gradually expanded and now offers foundation, undergraduate, and postg ...

Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester Metropolitan University is located in the centre of Manchester, England. The university has over 40,000 students and over 4,000 members of staff. It is home to four faculties (Arts and Humanities, Business and Law, Health and Educat ...

Middlesbrough Town Hall Middlesbrough Town Hall is a municipal facility located in Albert Road in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. It is a Grade II* listed building. History The current building was commissioned to replace an Old Town Hall in the Market Place ...

Oxford Town Hall Oxford Town Hall is a public building in St Aldate's Street in central Oxford, England. It is both the seat of Oxford City Council and a venue for public meetings, entertainment and other events. It also includes the Museum of Oxford. Although ...

Sevenoaks School Sevenoaks School is a highly selective coeducational independent school in Sevenoaks, Kent, England. It is the second oldest non-denominational school in the United Kingdom, dating back to 1432, only behind Oswestry (1407). Over 1,000 day pupils ...

Sheffield Cathedral The Cathedral Church of St Peter and St Paul, Sheffield, more commonly known as Sheffield Cathedral, is the cathedral church for the Church of England diocese of Sheffield, England. Originally a parish church, it was elevated to cathedral st ...

St John's Wood Church St John's Wood Church is a Church of England parish church in St John's Wood, London. The church is located on Lord's Roundabout, between Lord's Cricket Ground and Regent's Park, and has a Grade II* listing. The parish is in the Archdeaconry of ...

University of Aberdeen , mottoeng = The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom , established = , type = Public research universityAncient university , endowment = £58.4 million (2021) , budget ...

University of Chester , mottoeng = "He that teacheth, on teaching" , former_names = , established = (gained university status in 2005) , type = Public , endowment = £395,000 (2018) , budget = £118.3 million , chancellor = Gyles Brandreth , vice_chancell ...

University of East London , mottoeng = Knowledge and the fulfilment of vows , established = 1898 – West Ham Technical Institute1952 – West Ham College of Technology1970 – North East London Polytechnic1989 – Polytechnic of East London ...

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

University of Worcester , motto_lang = la , mottoeng = ''Aspire to Inspire'' , established = 1946 – Worcester Emergency Teacher Training College 1948 – Worcester Teacher Training College 1976 – Worcester College of Higher Education 1997 – ...

* Maidstone's

Valley Park School Valley Park School is an Academy (English school), academy school in Maidstone, Kent, England. The school caters for girls and boys between the ages of 11 and 18. Valley Park became a specialist school, specialist Arts College in July 2007. It ...

* Glasgow's

Wellington Church Wellington Church is a congregation and parish church of the Church of Scotland, serving part of the Hillhead area of Glasgow, Scotland. The building is located on University Avenue, Glasgow, opposite the University of Glasgow. Building The buil ...

Westminster Synagogue The Westminster Synagogue is a non-affiliated Jewish Reform synagogue and congregation near Hyde Park, London. It is located in Kent House, a restored Victorian town house in Knightsbridge. The building, which dates from the late 1800s, also ...

Weston Museum Weston Museum is a museum in Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset, England. It was established in 1861. and is home to North Somerset Council museum collection with exhibits relating to Weston-super-Mare and the surrounding area from 400 milli ...

* Holton's

Wheatley Park School Wheatley Park School (WPS) is a co-educational state secondary school of approximately 1,150 pupils situated in Holton, Oxfordshire, England about east of Oxford. The school has been an academy since May 2014. The school is most notable for ...

Wimbledon Synagogue The Wimbledon Synagogue (formally, Wimbledon and District Synagogue), a member of the Movement for Reform Judaism, is a synagogue in the London Borough of Wandsworth at Queensmere Road, Wimbledon Park, on the boundary with the London Borough o ...

, London – the programme's first ever broadcast from a synagogue, and coinciding with the 200th anniversary of the first

Reform Judaism Reform Judaism, also known as Liberal Judaism or Progressive Judaism, is a major Jewish denomination that emphasizes the evolving nature of Judaism, the superiority of its ethical aspects to its ceremonial ones, and belief in a continuous sear ...

service. * Wigan's

Winstanley College Winstanley College is a sixth-form college in the Billinge Higher End area of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester. Admissions In the academic year 2022-23 it had approx 2300 full-time students. The catchment area spreads across ...

Worthing College Worthing College is a sixth form college. The College is situated in Broadwater, in the town of Worthing on the south coast of England. History Grammar school The school directly descends from the former Worthing High School for Boys on ''Bols ...

* Sedbury's

Wyedean School Wyedean School and Sixth Form Centre is a secondary school with academy status in Sedbury, Gloucestershire, England, just across the border from Chepstow, Wales. Wyedean School was rated 'Good' by OfSTED in Jan 2018. The school is close to the ...

Notable editions

First edition

''Any Questions?'' was first broadcast on 12 October 1948. The first edition was broadcast from the Guildhall in Winchester.

Demonstrators

During a November 1976 edition broadcast from Basingstoke, " stone-throwing demonstrators" smashed windows. Politician

Enoch Powell John Enoch Powell, (16 June 1912 – 8 February 1998) was a British politician, classical scholar, author, linguist, soldier, philologist, and poet. He served as a Conservative Member of Parliament (1950–1974) and was Minister of Health (1 ...

— known for the

Rivers of Blood speech The "Rivers of Blood" speech was made by British Member of Parliament (MP) Enoch Powell on 20 April 1968, to a meeting of the Conservative Political Centre in Birmingham, United Kingdom. His speech strongly criticised mass immigration, especi ...

, in which he spoke about mass

immigration Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, a ...

— was on the panel, and demonstrators decided "to make their

views A view is a sight or prospect or the ability to see or be seen from a particular place. View, views or Views may also refer to: Common meanings * View (Buddhism), a charged interpretation of experience which intensely shapes and affects thou ...

heard".

Prison

In September 1991, ''Any Questions?'' came from Norfolk's Wayland Prison. The audience was made up of

prisoner A prisoner (also known as an inmate or detainee) is a person who is deprived of liberty against their will. This can be by confinement, captivity, or forcible restraint. The term applies particularly to serving a prison sentence in a prison. ...

s, who had prison officers sitting beside them. After the programme finished, the prisoners—without their officers—"crowded around" presenter

. One "confronted" Dimbleby, saying: "I want to ask you something, because we're quite

cross A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a sa ...

here." After Dimbleby felt a moment of "

alarm An alarm device is a mechanism that gives an audible, visual or other kind of alarm signal to alert someone to a problem or condition that requires urgent attention. Alphabetical musical instruments Etymology The word ''alarm'' comes from t ...

", the prisoner continued: "Why do we only hear ''

Test Match Special ''Test Match Special'' (also known as ''TMS'') is a British sports radio programme, originally, as its name implies, dealing exclusively with Test cricket matches, but currently covering any professional cricket. It broadcasts on BBC Radio 4 LW ...

'' now on

longwave In radio, longwave, long wave or long-wave, and commonly abbreviated LW, refers to parts of the radio spectrum with wavelengths longer than what was originally called the medium-wave broadcasting band. The term is historic, dating from the e ...

?" Dimbleby had "no answer", but felt "very relieved".

Stuck in traffic

In March 1993, ''Any Questions?'' broadcast during snowy weather. Then-

Conservative Party chairman The chairman of the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom is responsible for party administration and overseeing the Conservative Campaign Headquarters, formerly Conservative Central Office. When the Conservatives are in government, the offic ...

Norman Fowler Peter Norman Fowler, Baron Fowler, (born 2 February 1938) is a British politician who served as a member of both Margaret Thatcher and John Major's ministries during the 1980s and 1990s. He held the office of Lord Speaker from 1 September 201 ...

was scheduled as a guest for that day; although he was stuck in traffic, he still managed to call on his mobile phone and take part in the discussion. Presenter Jonathan Dimbleby went to Fowler first as "phone batteries used to run out very quickly". Fowler's first words were: "Good evening Jonathan, I find myself at something of a disadvantage here." Fellow panellist

Jack Cunningham John Anderson Cunningham, Baron Cunningham of Felling, PC, DL (born 4 August 1939) is a British politician who was a Labour Member of Parliament for over 30 years, serving for Whitehaven from 1970 to 1983 and then Copeland until the 2005 ...

, then Labour's

Shadow Foreign Secretary In UK politics, the Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs is a position within the opposition's shadow cabinet that deals mainly with issues surrounding the Foreign Office. If elected, the person serving a ...

, replied: “Of course you are, you are in the Cabinet which is ruining the country!”

60th anniversary

In October 2008, ''Any Questions?'' returned to Winchester for its 60th anniversary edition. On the panel, at the Henry Beaufort School, were:

Labour Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...

Harriet Harman Harriet Ruth Harman (born 30 July 1950) is a British politician and solicitor who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Camberwell and Peckham, formerly Peckham, since 1982. A member of the Labour Party, she has served in various Cabi ...

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the st ...

and

academic An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, ...

Peter Hennessy Peter John Hennessy, Baron Hennessy of Nympsfield, (born 28 March 1947) is an English historian and academic specialising in the history of government. Since 1992, he has been Attlee Professor of Contemporary British History at Queen Mary Unive ...

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking ...

Oliver Letwin Sir Oliver Letwin (born 19 May 1956) is a British politician, Member of Parliament (MP) for West Dorset from 1997 to 2019. Letwin was elected as a member of the Conservative Party, but sat as an independent after having the whip removed in S ...

, and

Liberal Democrat Several political parties from around the world have been called the Liberal Democratic Party or Liberal Democrats. These parties usually follow a liberal democratic ideology. Active parties Former parties See also *Liberal democracy *Lib ...

Shirley Williams Shirley Vivian Teresa Brittain Williams, Baroness Williams of Crosby, (' Catlin; 27 July 1930 – 12 April 2021) was a British politician and academic. Originally a Labour Party Member of Parliament (MP), she served in the Labour cabinet from ...

2013 New York special

In April 2013, ''Any Questions?'' presented a "special edition" from New York, "to mark the first 100 days of President Obama's second term". On the panel were: Democratic Member of Congress

Donna Edwards Donna Fern Edwards (born June 28, 1958) is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 2008 to 2017. The district included most of Prince George's County, as well as part of Anne Arundel County. She is a member of the ...

Reuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters Corporation. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency was esta ...

editor-at-large Harry Evans,

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

Member of Congress

Nan Hayworth Nan Alison Hayworth (née Sutter; born December 14, 1959) is an American ophthalmologist and former Congresswoman for . A Republican, she was elected in 2010. In 2012, after redistricting, Hayworth ran for reelection in the new 18th district ...

, and Democratic

, former Attorney General and

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

New York state New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. stat ...

Eliot Spitzer. This edition was broadcast from

Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism The Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism is located in Pulitzer Hall on the university's Morningside Heights campus in New York City. Founded in 1912 by Joseph Pulitzer, Columbia Journalism School is one of the oldest journalism s ...

70th anniversary

In October 2018, ''Any Questions?'' held its 70th anniversary edition at the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. T ...

. On the panel were:

Tom Pursglove Thomas Christopher John Pursglove (born 5 November 1988) is a British politician serving as Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work. He served as Minister of State for Immigration from September 2022 to October 2022. He served as ...

, Scottish Labour Party MP

Danielle Rowley Danielle Rowley (born 25 February 1990) is a Scottish Labour politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Midlothian from 2017 to 2019. Early life and education Danielle Rowley was born on 25 February 1990 and grew up on a council est ...

, online

estate agent An estate agent is a person or business that arranges the selling, renting, or management of properties and other buildings. An agent that specialises in renting is often called a letting or management agent. Estate agents are mainly engaged ...

Akshay Ruparelia, Our Future Our Choice

co-founder An organizational founder is a person who has undertaken some or all of the formational work needed to create a new organization, whether it is a business, a charitable organization, a governing body, a school, a group of entertainers, or any othe ...

Lara Spirit, and

Rizzle Kicks Rizzle Kicks are a British hip hop duo from Brighton, England, consisting of Jordan "Rizzle" Stephens (born 25 January 1992) and Harley "Sylvester" Alexander-Sule (born 1991). Their debut album, ''Stereo Typical'', was released in 2011. As o ...

singer Jordan Stephens. The panel answered questions on

climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...

mental health Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental hea ...

and

social media Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social medi ...

Brexit Brexit (; a portmanteau of "British exit") was the withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU) at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February 2020 CET).The UK also left the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC ...

, and

housing Housing, or more generally, living spaces, refers to the construction and assigned usage of houses or buildings individually or collectively, for the purpose of shelter. Housing ensures that members of society have a place to live, whether i ...

. The programme's panel and audience were aged 18 to 30.

References

External links

Official website

Best Moments on Any Questions?

Seven Surprising Moments from Any Questions?
{{BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 programmes 1948 establishments in the United Kingdom BBC Home Service programmes BBC Light Programme programmes BBC Radio 2 programmes