To strongly dislike Amol Rajan as a presenter?

[rellies]

He’s now a presenter of Today on Radio 4. I can’t stand him. He doesn’t talk clearly, he mumbles all the time. He often seems ill-prepared for interviews and conducts them in such a casual manner which I suspect is his way of dealing with his nerves/lack of preparation. In TV interviews he slouches in his seat which just looks so unprofessional. Now he’s got the University Challenge gig. Why do people keep hiring him ? I wish he would just go away.

@AgathaSpencerGregson "CurlewKate
Pretty sure most of the anti-Rajan sentiment is a mixture of racism and objection to his outspoken anti monarchist views.

Not that outspoken. First I’ve heard about them!"

What's that Mumsnet expression? I think that might be a "you" problem!

As I stated above, I quite like him on Today but it took a few days and some good interviews to convince me. Racism? I don't think I am racist. Kind of neutral regarding the monarchy. There are worse options than constitutional monarchs in my opinion.

I reckon it’s one I can live with.

@CurlewKate

Aye that’s me. Raging racist and ardent monarchist.

(odfd)

it is not racism
that is a lazy comment.

I didn’t have any strong feelings either way about Amol Rajan but seeing him on House of Games has ruined any aura of intellectual heft he might have had about him.

Yes, it’s a lighthearted entertainment show, but the contestants have to use their brains and be a little bit agile to answer the puzzles. He was one of the most ill informed and completely baffled contestants throughout and it’s ruined him for me.

I don't like the way he speaks which, for me, makes him difficult to listen to/watch.

Love the idea of judging intellectual capability by performance on House of Games! 🤣🤣

Why? It’s non scripted TV for the contestants where they answer questions using their own brains. The questions aren’t difficult either, they just require a little bit of general knowledge, a little bit of logic and a little bit of common sense so it’s unusual for anyone to be completely clueless at it.

Everything else Rajan does on TV is heavily researched and at least partially scripted so he doesn’t have to rely on himself in the moment. I don’t think presenting University Challenge is particularly indicative of someone’s intellect 🤷🏻‍♀️

On the subject of University Challenge, I think Lucy Worsley would have made a good presenter.

I don't think I have ever seen him/heard him present. Recognise the face though.

I had no idea he was anti monarchist. He's just not a very good presenter

rellies · 27/04/2023 07:00
HolidaysSunnyDays · 26/04/2023 12:42

I can't stand the way he mumbles. Accents are wonderful, but this isn't accent. It's just lack of proper enunciation

Agree with this!”

You both need hearing checks. Just watched the first UC. Crystal clear.

(Am I the only person who still hears Bamber Gascogne when Roger says “Asking the questions” ? 😁)

Bamber Gascoigne set the questions on UC.

Well yes, but also asked them?

Bamber didn't set the questions on UC (except for the first series perhaps) but he always checked through them to see whether he was happy with the answers, and made notes.

@DaffyDaydream I love Woothy Worthly but seriously?

....theoriouthly?

@ForTheSnarkWasABoojumYouSee , s well as presenting the show, in its initial series he also set all the questions.[Wiki]

I saw him present UC last week.
He looks like a sort of poundshop Alan Sugar with his being, and seemed to be flipping between being everyone's mate and channelling Paxman's impatience.

As an aside, I don't know why the studio set got a makeover but it looks as though it doubles for the inside of a spaceship circa 1982, or for a remake of The Adventure Game.

You can be very clever and still have general knowledge/common sense blindspots. I knew a man who was clever and knowledgeable but made the gaffe of the century when he went on Pointless.

Incidentally AR was good on Christmas university challenge a couple of years back, certainly didn’t come across as thick.

I'm amusing myself by imagining the people who do well on House of Games as serious journalists and/or presenters of the Today Programme. They'd mostly be stand up comedians ..

Not racism at all. Mishal Hussain and Trevor Mcdonald have lovely clear diction. Amol Rajan does not.

*bling, not being. Autocorrect decided to change it as I posted.

Sorry but it is madness to imply that he has an easy gig at the Today programme and that it doesn’t involve intellect (which he clearly has, given that he went to Cambridge).