R4 Any Answers

[J0nah]

I listen to R4 a lot. I love Any Questions hosted by Chris Mason. But the follow up program, Any Answers, drives me INSANE. The presenter, Anita Anand, constantly interrupts the callers either cutting them off mid sentence or repeatedly talking over them until they lose their train of thought.
Is it just me that feels this way? I thought the whole point of the program was for people to phone in and actually speak.

I couldn't agree more, I can't listen to it. Her interrupting is bad enough but the stuttering she does while she's doing it makes those interruptions take even longer.

I have nothing against people who stutter BTW, I'm not being stutterist, but she only seems to do it when she's interrupting.

And she takes so long to tell the last caller just to speak for 30 seconds they get two words out and she takes the next 50 seconds telling them sorry we've run out of time. Arrrgh

Ah. Thank goodness it's not just me.
Not stuttering particularly, just interupting till the Caller stops talking then kind of umming and arring without actually saying anything. And absolutely agree on the last caller thing. I'll just do the interrupting then fit a completely different topic in while spending ages telling the new caller they only have 30 seconds left.
I actually shout at the radio! It's a phone in show. Why does she never let people say their piece? It could be such a good follow up programme to Any Questions.
And spending ages telling people how to phone in. I missed that bit.
There just be more of us ReggaePerrin. There was a whole thread on the new presenter of Womans Hour and her interrupting ruining the program and all I cound think of was that she's not a patch on Anita Amanda.

I haven't listened to much of WH recently.

Sorry, stuttering was the wrong word, but we knew what I meant

I used to shout at the radio too but I just can't contemplate listening to it at all now. On the odd occasion when someone else is presenting it I'm more than happy to tune in.

I don't mind Anita Anand, but Fiona Bruce was DREADFUL on QT the other night, really embarrassing

I like Any Answers and Anita Anand's way of presenting it.

Chris Mason is great on AQ. He sounds so likeable.

Hi to, I assume, a fellow Archers fan- ILoveShula. (She's really winding me up at the moment with all the angst and hand wringing over Philip but that's another thread). What do you see in AA's presenting style that I'm missing please? I do like the format, ordinary peoples right to reply on the topics covered in ANY Questions, but Chris Mason actually allows people to get their point across.

I used to feel exactly this (for what, about 30 years?) about Jonathan Dimbleby on Any Questions. Constantly interrupting and trying to change the question and 'interview' people, instead of letting the panellists answer the question they'd been asked. And the prolonged stuttering while doing it!!!

I don't listen to Any Answers as much, as the public annoy. But when I have heard Anita Annand I've liked her. She's humane and encouraging but no-nonsense and is able to say 'well no, you're quite wrong about that, because of facts a, b and c' nicely, without attacking the caller's dignity and still giving them the space and serious attention needed to speak, which is a great skill.

Nice to hear alternative opinions.
I get that she's dealing with the general, often elderly, public who sometimes have a story to say and are determined to tell the whole story irrespective of length. It's just her way of interupting by completely talking over the caller until they lose their thread and we're left with part of a response.
(I shouted at the radio today as usual and woke the dogs up).
Any Questions was as good as it usually is. Chris Mason doesn't talk over his guests and stops them talking over each other.

I'm only on MN for the TA threads.

My thoughts on AnitaA are the same as @lottiegarbanzo's.

With a programme like that, callers could get carried away, and AA is probably being directed to cut it short, and I think she does it in a natural and friendly way. What I like about Any Answers is that people actually bother to phone in. I missed it today as I went for a walk instead.

The programmes I don't like include Soul Music or Sole Destroying and Tweet of the Day (the twittering is fine, it's the wittering that irritates me).

I'm finding Today a bit hard going nowadays too. 3 hours of Covid.

I agree OP! she is very annoying .love chris mason though!

She's lovely. Chris Mason, as I pp, seems so likeable.

I missed yesterdays episode ILoveShula as I fell asleep so had no need to shout at the poor radio. Bells on Sunday v early Sunday mornings and Count Arthur Strong are probably the only programmes I turn off. Today has been a shadow of its former self for a couple of years now without the big hitting politicians interviews.
Extremely glad TA is almost back to normal. Last year was tough without it, then the monologues. I read TA threads on a Sunday after I've listened to the omnibus so no spoilers.

Oh @J0nah, you can use BBC Sounds to listen to it.

I think it is probably like reading the Daily Liar letters page. Not that I read that s*e.

The omnibus is on at my Sunday dog walking time so suits me.
I caught a bit of Any Questions last night presented by AA. Will listen to the repeat later but in the bit I caught she seemed less interupty.

Not yet read full thread but agree with you OP!

One of the 'phone in shows I usedto listen to in Ireland with Joe Duffy..callers could speak. In fact I heard callers say,more than once ..."I need to go now Joe"

Haha Doobydoo. Love that.

Hmmm. She wasn't bad at all in AQ. Actually let the panel get their point across without interrupting.

It’s one of the 2 programmes I turn off on principle. The other is Call You & Yours. Hate them both!

(But it’s nothing to do with the presenters in either case, I just can’t bear phone ins!!)

I thought Saturday's AA was fine, but it didn't follow AQ as closely as I would have liked.

Maybe they could swap places for a week? AA could deal with the 'Professionals' and lovely Chris could have us Commoners. I might write in to Feedback.....

Anita is good overall, but her interrupting or talking-over habits can be quite irritating. I must admit I do end-up shouting at the radio. Perhaps it's me that has the issue!

I like Bells on Sunday but I switch Something Understood off.

@WoolleyThinking, you are allowed to find a presenter irritating, so it's not you. You don't know how much of the interruptions are her or her producer asking her to do it