David Starkey, 73, moans his broadcasting career has been ruined by 'old, ugly women'

My OH doesn't like me to watch David Starkey history programmes, as I always end up yelling at the tv, due to his historical inaccuracies - of which there are many. I hate that he refers to things as facts, when it's actually just his opinion, and often actually completely the opposite of what the sources show/suggest. And I've never forgiven him for his 'ricardian loon' comments - which made my OH roar with laughter, and refer to me as such for quite some time. DS is a complete muppet - misogynistic, rude, arrogant. So I can't say his latest utterings surprise me.

Mary Beard is fantastic - I'd like to be Mary Beard. Hugely admire her for her knowledge, and her enthusiasm - I'd love to see more of her on tv.

I do enjoy Lucy Worsley, I think she's fun. Though I do sometimes think her history can be a bit suss, and a bit mainstream. But it's very watchable.

Mary Beard is both engaging and makes difficult topics accessible without patronising people. I find her writing and programmes really interesting.

Starkey? He's actually quite nice IRL, or has been the times I've met him. Not as keen on his TV work though. It's just not as engaging.

Lucy Worsley....can't be doing with. Find her supercilious and a bit simpering.

Implying someone a decade younger than he is, is too old.

Yes, but he's a man. He probably doesn't judge men by their age or looks.

Can I put in a word for Janina Ramirez? Also an engaging presenter of history.

I loved the programme about servants Pamela Cox did.

Amanda Vickery is another fab one.

The thing i've come away from that article with is a sense that beauty is clearly in the eye of the beholder. I'm not going to be rude, but I don't think looks are his strong point. And yet he obviously thinks he is there partly as eye candy. Isn't that amazing?

Great that he is positive about himself though.

How weird that he has beef with age though. Implying someone a decade younger than he is, is too old.

Odd man.

He just looks so arrogant in that photo, doesn't he?

Oooh, I will look for her. Her work sounds very interesting indeed!

PROFESSOR Pamela Cox

iI'd like to see more of her on telly

Spudlet

Can I put in a plug for Dr Pamela Cox? Writes about women's lives - servant, shop girls, prostitutes. Has done a couple of TV documentaries but is a bona fide Academic

Remember when he thought he could teach History to teenagers because he know a lot about History (and has an ego the size of a planet)?

Hahahahahaha. That was inadequacy ALL of his own making

Would you rather watch David Starkey or Mary Beard?

I rest my case.

[fans self] Mary Beard! On here! Omg! I, too, would like to be Mary Beard when I grow up, though I fear I may need a brain transplant to achieve it .

I can't add anything original here - I do fully agree with the pp who talked about a certain kind of man being oh so ready to blame others (often women) for their misfortunes rather than taking a good look at themselves and their own failings. It is not an attractive trait, frankly.

I personally love the move towards looking beyond the big headline stories in history (divorced, beheaded, died! Very Important Men! And so on) to reveal a bit more about life further down the social scale, and the lives of women and children. I find that sort of quieter detail absolutely fascinating. Long may it continue!

Only just read the article. God, what a wanker.

Mary is beautiful inside and out. I’m afraid this guy is ugly on the inside - that’s why he’s not as popular.
His mannerisms really remind me of a character from The League of Gentlemen. The one who likes toads.

I've had teachers and professors like Mary Beard and also like David Starkey. The ones like Mary Beard left me with an enduring love of their subject. The ones more like Starkey just left me cold.
The appearance of a person talking about history doesn't matter at all to me and I admire passion and detail much more than polish. I find Starkey tedious and now also petulant. If "old and ugly" is all he can find to throw at these women, they must be pretty fabulous!

I was mildly curious as to whether Starkey got on with male historians any better and accidentally found this

Mary Beard is brilliant.
David Starkey is meh.

I was just scrolling to the end of this thread to derail it with a bit of Mary Beard fan-girlism, but everyone beat me to it

How unpleasant. He's gone right down in my estimation.

He's the Donald Trump of historians....absolutely believes his view is the correct view and anyone who disagrees is either an idiot or stupid. I watched his views on "The Princes in the Tower" claiming well documented information as new evidence that absolutely confirms that Richard III was the only one to benefit and therefore MUST have killed them.....bloody hogwash.

Odd that David Starkey can't work out why people would rather watch programmes presented by people with warmth, charm and wit instead of by him.

I did history at uni and he once came and spoke to our history society. One of my friends, a first year who was actually quite self doubting (no reason he should have known that but still) and was just 18 and had been to a pretty crap school (again latter point wouldn’t be clear but did have broad working class accent) asked him a really interested and unchallenging question about his research. DS for some unfathomable reason took it as a personal challenge and launched into a really horrible attack on him, saying he knew state education was poor but it was shocking to see how ill informed its products could be all the same and all but reduced him to tears - was horrific and my friend was humiliated and didn’t dare ask questions of “big academics” who spoke again for years. None of the really impressive or frankly academically superior historians we saw speak on other times like Richard Evans or John Morrill were ever anything but encouraging of our questions even when they were probably daft! Was horrid.

Can I add I'm BitOutOfPractice BA (Hons) History Manchester 1988