To wonder why people start sentences with So! When there is no reason to?

[Rjae]

Interview. So Mr x, why is the band base rate increasing?

Reply. So. (Pause). It's to do with the stability in the economy ......

There is no reason to use so! It's the latest 'y'know' verbal mannerism.

Stop it, it's annoying!

I also listen to Radio 4, particularly the Today programme and find it infuriating because so many interviwees do this. John Humphrys recently had a rant about it www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3132195/SO-wrong-John-Humphrys-rage-little-word-invades-everyday-speech.html.
I was watching Only Connect last week and the contestants constantly began their answers with "So....".
I can't understand why this started and why so many people have decided they will do it as well. If someone asks you a straightforward question, such as "What's the time?" or "Is it raining?" etc. why the hell would you start your reply with "So.."?
I have also noticed a lot of threads on here are now beginning with that word. It makes no sense at all to me, to begin a sentence in that way.

Sorry for typo. I meant 'interviewees' of course.

Yanbu. My sister starts every Facebook status with "So", normally long the lines of "So today I just got out of bed and blah blah blah whole world against me drama drama and more drama". Something like that anyway.

Bad and all as that is, it's hardly as terrible as ending sentences with "no?", as though you're just daring your interlocutor to disagree.

Far too many opening posts on here begin with an unnecessary "So".

Please make it stop.

I can only imagine that all these 'quirks' of language, 'so…' and 'gotten', and whatever else gets lobbed in there, are designed to make us think that what the person is saying is more interesting somehow.

It's a bit of completely unnecessary verbal embellishment basically. Except the attempt to gussy up what's being said is very annoying and makes me want to walk away with my fingers in my ears.