Read this: 19/06/2025 Radio 4 Feedback

BBC sounds music Radio podcasts and it's been an incredibly busy time particularly, so thank you all so much for sending in your comments and observations while we've been off air you've given me and the team here a lot of material already for this new series of feedback secular interview talking to Donald Trump age Sebastian gorka has caused a huge star and I'll be talking to Sarah in just a few minutes about her Handling of that interview in one answers to Listening nominations for interview of the year for John Wilson's chat with penis James Rhodes on this cultural life in the last week the news agenda has dominated by Israel attack on Iran and the escalating conflict between the two countries and of course do us reaction.

Have you been sending in your reviews on BBC radio coverage so far.

Israeli forces of dozens of strikes against military targets and nuclear sites in Iran nuclear enrichment programme we started the heart of iran's nuclear weapon in Station Approach

At least 8 people have been killed in Iranian strikes on Israel around 100 others have been injured the two sides of exchanging a tax for a 4th day Benjamin Netanyahu Donald Trump spoke again on the phone last night American planes have been moved here to the region, but it seems that no final decision on whether to use them has been made just yet but today show on Monday 16th June contain Braintree reports from inside Israeli bomb shelters and rightly correctly accounted for from the Iranian it failed to mention the casualties of an Iranian missile on camera none of this was mentioned in the afternoon today reports.

Hello.

My name is Cillian Henry I'm calling from London I was asking why you spent so long interviewing.

Getting bombed in Israel interview went on forever.

I found it to polling when it is Israel who has instigated yet another.

Hi, my name is John I would imagine the cost of sending top BBC presenters bike Anna Foster a present is considerable especially given the security personality that need to be provided its expense Justified as image in the BBC has locobase reporter who can provide the same function at a fraction of the cost hello this is Ellen Collins from Twickenham once again.

The BBC's Focus is on the Israeli civilians killed in the current conflict and you have to dig deep to find out there actually 810 times as many reindeers civilians killed by Israel from a course on this new series of feedback.

I'll be continuing to look at how radio programmes and podcasts are handling the unfolding event.

Least as well as a fast-changing use agenda, so do please keep your comments coming in the easiest way to do that is to send us a voice note on WhatsApp the number is 0343 444 5004 you can also ring the same number and leave a voice message the number again 03333440541 you can send an email.

It's feedback at bbc.co.uk and it's at BBC R4 feedback on social media use for a bit in the past as I'm sure you know the feedback in box gets a lot of complaints about confrontational argumentative interviewers who interrupt too much recently.

There's been quite comments interviewees especially spokespersons for the administrations in Israel and the US to turn the tables on the interviewer.

Tell me an example tell me please what I'm really really in all of this.

I Am What I Am I realised that these are points of deepkin and there is a lot of emotional attach them, but what I really want our listeners to take from this is light as well as heat.

Let me give you Nick the opportunity to call her must a terrorist organisation with the powers that be that's it upstairs from you right now and say right now on here that Hamas as a terrorist organisation is and enjoy the game for you Mr mentor it's not for people who worried about 8.

Is Anna Foster hosting the database and Nick Robinson interviewing Israel's David Mensah on today President Trump and senior director for counter-terrorism caused a tsunami in the feedback inbox silly question, sorry it's not.

You've talked to bed and getting local Muslim Nations to invest it's that simple ok, and is that is that a prospect as a result this trip? Oh my god ask me a question next bus from Altrincham in Greater Manchester listen to that interview with us spokesperson, Sebastian gorka on Tuesday the 13th of May increasingly reported by the tone and direction of the conversation and how the guests Montague would there be a problem with baby formula going into Casa because that there are more food going in then physically can be eaten by the putative population so I'm not going in the last 2 months.

Sarah handle him as well as she could but there was a limit to what you could do politely in the face of his aggression.

I'm interested firstly in my BBC editors continue to subdue start a verbal abuse from this person as a listener.

I felt very little was gained and secondly a journalist prepare themselves for an encounter with an interviewee like this.

Hello.

This is Danny Nixon from Deganwy in North Wales bowling be rude interviewee on the world at One Eliza told about the humanitarian situation in Gaza were enough is extreme rudeness was unforgivable congratulations to Sarah Montague for dealing with this ghastly man in such a calm professional way, do we accept that no food has gone into Gaza and the last 2 months? I'm not going to talk about.

Adam black sale near Manchester I'm absolutely sick to the back teeth of hearing the arrogant bulrush Sebastian gorka being so rude objection about during interviews he always comes on contradicting fake news reporting left wing bias spits dummy out whenever is diatribe is questioned threatens to terminate the interview which of course the interviewer doesn't want to happen and basically bullies his way through the air time.

I realise that it's important to what bedsides are thinking but next time he threatens to walk during an interview perhaps cutting him off would be a good idea.

I'm trying to establish, what the position of the same illustration about 4 and I'm not going to ask you I want to stay.

What you guys do if you want to ask me about the incredible things President Trump is doing in the Middle East how we rested ask about that.

I'm prepared to you.

So I'm not I'm not going to countenance your present on Richard Ellis from Hertfordshire the interviews bike for itself and illuminated many things about trump politics is a wider exterior of interest to feedback about how current affairs journalist in our emerging new world order.

I haven't changed their approaches in order to help for audiences understand not only the issues, but also the bullying and do facing rhetoric that will be used by governments to conceal brightened.

My sister's when truth is called fake news when journalists are accused of political bias of ideology when many many votes received by Anya

Simply through ex on social media when politicians weaponizing lies, how is serious journalism going to respond to that and how is the BBC adapt our own approaches to the presentation of facts that contribute to our understanding of conscience that you are so ugly completely biased that all you can do is give into your travel arrangements syndrome.

Have you ever wanted anything positive about presents or not melt at the altar left wing ideology is there a response to the question is a response to my crush well.

I'm asking the questions here with more interested and what you have the taxpayer 400000000 from Harwich Essex I just wanted to know world at One presenter Sarah Montagues extraordinary skill perseverance clarity and professionalism as deployed you.

To be with President Trump's deputy assistant, I'm grateful that someone with such expertise is able to ask questions on behalf of muscle will in a minute.

I'll be talking to Sarah Montague presenter of want to get the inside track on how she copes with that level of aggression and still try to elicit light not Heat but first album Webb historian and lecturer in cultural studies at the University of Sussex with his observations and reactions are very interesting and provide any insight into perhaps surprisingly the significance of an interview like this people might find it frustrating and get upset about it, but those kind of reactions are important in themselves.

It is necessary sometimes to expose or reveal the difficulty of getting straight or clearances from people in positions of power or authority and when you don't get.

Is important that the public see that because I don't run smoothly in power and sometimes people in power don't want to be held accountable for they're all the government for their organisations actions as I've seen that in real time is a positive contribution to democratic debate.

I think it has been a recent stanshall shift in the balance of power between interviewers who work for a big Media organisation and interviewees who require that interview an apple innovation to get their message heard going out lots of other opportunities and Routes through which people can have them so tired in the digital public space and bypasses is Stourbridge power brokers in communication like the BBC and as a consequence I think.

There's no longer the requirement to be respectful of the media organisation or the interview or indeed the interview what you want to do is just get your message across regardless is less jeopardy for the interviewee to be aggressive and combative because they have other routes to public opinion album where the story in the shower in cultural and media studies at the University of Sussex on my think since that interview with Sebastian gorka, but it really made an impression on feedback listeners a huge you want to praise Sarah for how you handled it.

I just wondered are you surprised by the amount of support and appreciation for you personally both on social media in our inbox and then feeding yours are mbox.

We just went nuts and it's a funny thing because

New image in your head of your broadcasting too and you know there are a lot of people out there listening.

We just had this incredible so the wall of response and people because obviously the way you do things and that's fine.

I'm going to constructive criticism, but I don't think I've ever done an interview where it was almost universally complementary there were a few emails that said why do you put them on their which is I think quite easy to answer.

I mean he is an aid in the White House he's an appointee of President Trump people of the president at the time that we did this interview President Trump is in the Middle East and they wouldn't be mixed messages about the US position on the Middle Eastern girls are on Israel so it seems to me and no brainer that we should ask somebody who has the Year of the president what they're us position was and he clearly has form.

I would be no let's just getting to the heat.

He had.

Interview with Evan on p.m.

Which was less combative than he has been in the past and I think we hoped we could steer through that have more light than he I mean clearly not quite what happened side, but weirdly there was also some light.

I mean he would rant at me and then he would give an answer.

I mean the answer may be hard to understand but he get into the process.

Just a little bit about how you prepare and you've been doing this a long time many left.

There's going to be familiar with you from the Today programme hard.

Talk as course of the world at one and plenty of difficult characters, but I wonder what kind of strategy you employee minutes different from the strategy of a regular political interview that you do all the time.

It is and clearly in that interview there was me thinking on my feet so you might have sorted bullet point thought there was there is so much going on in the Middle East and there is so much one would try to establish about what the US position is sewing one in that interview.

I was rifling through the bullet points quicker because he was really saying I was me another question so once he had on someone and was telling me ask me another and don't make it stupid I was thinking but let's just move on to the next thing.

I want to ask him about and obviously I'm trying to switch to something he feel more likely to give us an answer on so anything for light.

He was bringing the heat if we could try to get some light.

I mean that's always the way and do something about it afterwards.

Show me the response was almost are you ok and sort of evening? It's not personal he's got his own reasons for conducting the interview in the way that he does so I didn't take it personally and in some senses is similar to a political interviewers somebody's obfuscating.

You are try moving on to the next subject or next way of trying to get an answer to shed light possibly to challenge to establish, what what's in someone's head one there think because that's what you've invited them up.

It's interesting that you so quickly so I was fine.

I know it wasn't personal because I think that for many listeners money the people contacted us they felt that it wasn't an easy listening.

It rattled a lot of people thought that he sounded so incredibly rude.

I actually happened to be listening at the time and I thought about home credibly rude.

He was to you.

He was rude to you personally and when you're in the moment.

Thinking of the next question maybe if there's just so much going on in your head that you don't actually have time to feel you know personally agreed by him and he was overly that it almost made it easier because you just feel that you put on your flight jacket mentally and you just harder when someone sounding so much more reasonable and you're thinking hard as this is actually how do I fix this and they're starting in bed, but there is obviously a judgement an editorial judgement about going to switch off at some point because it's such an uncomfortable lesson.

I mean I don't want to be the punch punch bag and we recorded the record about 12:00 when on there at 1, so we edited it for repetition.

We are here.

She had a rant at the end, which we took off it had enough.

We thought it worth playing to our audience because what I ordered.

This is incredibly intelligent informed and they can make the arrangements had a number of times that he wanted to finish the interview and I think quite a lot of our listeners.

Thought that they have they been in your position would have been very tempted to finish the interview was there any of you that thought ok enough or did you think they let's let's keep talking because I want the listeners to know what he thinks.

That's why I kept skipping on in away because I'm ok when you we got his answer about I mean.

What's a stranger answer, but there was there's no starvation.

There's loads of food and gods that he would engage with that.

They had actually been a blockage skipping on skipping onto I think I asked him about that give you a call after about Turkey and Ukraine situation the talks on that then of course the guitarist playing.

On each one, he did give an answer, so I don't know I don't mean no I mean that you threatened to walk but he didn't know he did keep engaging was there a certain point there but I suppose by the time we had what was it 68 minutes on you know that the audience really couldn't have stomach much more when you finished that interview.

How did you feel I mean personally.

Did you a lot of that? They were shaking with rage? Will you shaking or have you done this enough that you just think ok fine? That's you knew you must have known that it was a good interview there when you need it was going to be there was a look after that and I think I came out saying we have to run out of minutes and and and as I said it was editing slightly for repetition and Ferb taking one of the lads often, but how do I feel probably a bit sweatier than before that I seem to recall.

But no, are you look I have an amazing job.

I love my job when you are doing interviews with well, whoever it is and you feel that you are here and stuff.

You haven't heard before you know the hairs on the back of your neck with yellow amazing position of being absolutely well were certainly controlled by the interview and we got a huge response to it and it all positive.

It was all price for the way that you handle it.

So thank you very much indeed for coming onto feedback.

Thank you know you probably won't be surprised to hear that dominated by number of you for the Prestigious feedback interview of the year and I'm really keen to hear other suggestion that you might have any memorable interviews across all BBC audio.

It doesn't have to come from use John Wilson's interview with the classical concert pianist James Rhodes on this cultural life in the middle of May has been dominated by listeners James was a latecomer as a professional musician.

He's suffered violence sexual abuse at school is adult life story is also one involving mental illness Addiction and deep despair his life for heroin the joy and enthusiasm for music Sean also 342 of our listeners welcome to this cultural life.

Thank you.

You're here with us today sitting at the piano how much time do you spend at the keyboard generally everyday too much.

I mean never more than 4 hours and I'm recording my rule of thumb is that I have to practise for more than 4 hours a day you're doing something wrong Krakow Poland despite having been deeply affected by.

Greatest pop instrumental two years ago I found a war emotional power of the interview almost overwhelming.

How did the abuse start very very early 80s well things like grooming we didn't know nobody really knew there was this kind of ignorance around all that and so when my gym teacher would ask me to stay behind and he could me little presents and then one day at all and of a felt I suppose that I had his trust enough lock me inside that kind of storage room and that's when they have you started and it and it went on for years and it was increasingly violent and determination to overcome these horrific can see me.

Physical and emotional injuries made me reflect on my own life and how much I have taken for granted and upbringing in a safe and loving environment.

My name is Alison Moyet to live in Hertfordshire I felt there was no sense of self-pity, but I really clear sense of self-awareness and that really made me feel quite humble what happens and what no one tells you if you were sexually abused when you were child and you them have your when that kid turns the age, you are when the abuse started your world has a 95% chance of absolutely falling apart.

It's an iOS I have massive right and I didn't know why do that for me was his complete passion for music and how that he learnt and her.

And that she found a way to soothe his soul he basically said that it saves him it became has lifeblood.

We think of the top of my head by Beethoven Prokofiev shop and list bronze Rachmaninoff Shostakovich stravinsky Schubert Schumann Ravel Debussy scriabin homo Haydn Mozart and hundreds of thousands of pieces.

I could live several and cover 3% of so give me some 100-percent in a million years so I would be able to play.

As it doesn't stop it doesn't stop for 6-minute very empathically held and is always I found your Wilson to ask some very profound questions.

Thank you John Wilson conducting such a challenging interview does customer sensitivity and empathy again.

It made me think about how much I listen really listen to People meaning not just what they articulated out loud and what they thinking you know hearts and Souls an aspect that seems missing in our current polarised world extremely privileged to be part or listen to this conversation and I found it very powerful in many ways you talking about the healing Power of Love through music if every child has the ability to learn?

And it's not that they're going to play at the weekend.

It's because it will impact everything from their social skills to the mathematical skills to their language skills to the broader in the family and in the society and it's it's a good thing and we need good things in the world James Rose thank you so much for sharing your culture is so lovely too and thank you which on Wilson's interview with James Rhodes was nominated by Michael Thomas and Alice and white for feedbacks interview of the year and it's to listen to on BBC signs details offering information and support with mental health and self-harm and victims of child sexual abuse are available at bbc.co.uk / action no just before I go you may have seen the news the report just published concluded that BBC is systematically biased against.

Minions in Gears of War coverage by the center for Media monitoring and that's an organisation established by the Muslim council of Britain to promote fair and accurate about Muslims and Islam no it analysed over 35000 pieces of BBC content and it does make very interesting reading not a few of you have already been in touch about it.

So it's going to take you know that I do hope to get the chance to talk to someone from senior management at the BBC about its findings on feedback as soon as possible, but that is all for this week for me and team.

Thank you so much for listening and giving us your feedback.

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