When It Hits the Fan R4

[InSightOfLand]

I've listened to this podcast about PR since it began, it's a topic I'm interested in (I'm not in the business). Simon Lewis and David Yelland had good radio skills and voices.

Simon L's voice - particularly easy to listen to - has been replaced by a new woman, and the content is good and up to date, but I can't listen. People on here have talked before about being irritated by radio voices and I've thought surely it's possible to ignore even vocal fry if the content is good. But I can't ignore her.

I assumed non-professional presenters would get training for radio but her voice is like a children's TV presenter from the 1970s, with constant exaggerated swoops in tone and over-enthusiastic anticipation of the 'now-isn't-this-exciting-children' variety.

I've just downloaded it, heard her first few lines and then deleted. Do I just need to get a grip?

Ive listened for a long time too but sporadically on Sounds, I didn't know there was a new worman, that doesn't sound like a positive change

Google tells me the new presenter is Farzana Baduel, an industry professional well-qualified to talk about this stuff. I hope someone in production can get her to speak conversationally, because there's nothing wrong with her actual voice or what she says, it's her presenting style. I'm getting flashbacks to Blue Peter.

I agree, enjoyed it /learned things until the presenter change and now finding it hard to listen to (assumed it was just me).

You're not alone, OP. I've listened to it for ages and tbh it was Simon Lewis who made it bearable for me. Now he's gone and it's Yelland plus new woman with awful style I don't think I'll be listening much longer. I made it through the most recent episode but only just.

Good to know it's not just me. I would contact the programme but can't think of a polite wsy to ask a presenter to speak in an ordinary voice. It is giving me nostalgia for Acorn Antiques though.

isnt it funny how different our reactions can be, I LOVE her accent to point I googled to find out where she went to school. I understand where you’re coming from re the delivery but I like it. I also really liked Simon but I like her energy

Not heard her but I have heard quite a few (young) female voices that inflect at the end of sentences and I've reached for the Off switch each time.

I like her. I think she’s more modern in her grasp of pr. I think David yelland belongs in an earlier era and is just out of date! He was lauding the jaguar rebrand for example - but it was panned and jaguar has lost a tonne of money since. So he was wrong about that!
he also tries to shoehorn Prince Harry returning as much as he possibly can and i think on that he is widely out of touch with the general public too . But otherwise i like this podcast a lot

I've listened and I like her voice but I've not got used to it yet.

I think it was relevant to mention Prince Harry. I find it hard to imagine that many want Harry to return. He's burnt his bridges hasn't he?

I listened to a bit of Woman's Hour today and I think part of why I don't listen is the presenters' voices. There's a 'this is a girls only chat' feel to it.

I'm guessing the producers wouldn't hire someone they didn't like, so the new presenter must be popular with them and who they expect to listen.

Yelland and Lewis are old-school and I got the impression Lewis was uncomfortable discussing some of the later royal scandal. Yelland is an old tabloid editor though so that's an interesting perspective. I thought he was pushing to talk more about social media, which I do know something about, so I looked forward to a newer incarnation of the pod but the presenter is the barrier for me - it could be quite an individual thing.

If you don't like the voices then that's enough to justify not listening.
I don't listen to some things because of the voices.