4 hours ago
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Paul GlynnCulture reporter
Melvyn Bragg has stepped down as host of BBC Radio 4's In Our Time after 26 years.
Lord Bragg has hosted more than 1,000 episodes of the discussion programme since its launch in 1998, including its most recent series, which aired earlier this year.
The show saw him lead conversations with academics about a wide variety of historical, scientific, philosophical and cultural topics - from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland to Zenobia, Queen of the Palmyrene Empire.
The 85-year-old thanked listeners, saying it had been "a great privilege and pleasure" to present the show. He said he would continue to work with the station, which will announce his replacement in due course.
"For a programme with a wholly misleading title which started from scratch with a six-month contract, it's been quite a ride!" said Lord Bragg in a statement.
"I have worked with many extremely talented and helpful people inside the BBC as well as some of the greatest academics around the world."
The BBC stressed while "he will be much missed" on In Our Time, "Melvyn will continue to be a friend of Radio 4", teasing a new project next year.
Radio 4 controller Mohit Bakaya said Lord Bragg had "been part of the heartbeat of Radio 4 for over three decades".
"His fierce intellect, coupled with a wonderful curiosity and extraordinary passion for knowledge, marks him out as one of the broadcasting greats," he said.
To mark "the end of an era", he said Radio 4 would air some of "Melvin's most cherished episodes" later this year, when there will also be a curated selection on BBC Sounds chosen by some of the show's most famous listeners.
In Our Time is one of BBC Sounds' most popular podcasts among listeners aged under 35, the corporation said.
BBC director general Tim Davie said Lord Bragg's "passion for the arts, his intellectual curiosity, and his unwavering commitment to public service broadcasting over the last 60-plus years have enriched the lives of millions".
He added: "Through In Our Time on Radio 4 he has brought depth, insight, and humanity to our airwaves every single week for more than a quarter of a century.
"He leaves behind not just an extraordinary body of work, but a gold standard of broadcasting and interviewing excellence that will inspire generations to come."
Lord Bragg joined the BBC in 1961 and presented Radio 4's Start the Week for a decade before In Our Time began. He is also known for fronting arts magazine series The South Bank Show, which was broadcast on ITV and later Sky.
