Miranda Sawyer’s best audio of 2021
Emma Barnett and Anita Rani shook up Woman's Hour, commercial radio wooed sixtysomethings, and Barack and the Boss got chatting on Spotify
A busy, busy year for audio. As in 2020, lockdown gave all audio a boost - in status, as well as listeners. The lack of gigs, theatre, art shows or cinema from January to March meant that audio (radio, podcasts, music) jumped up the cultural ladder. Podcasts were also boosted by yet more celebrities deciding to fill their lonelier hours with a talking to my famous mates" show. Listeners responded, and podcasts are now the fastest growing audio medium (though live radio still makes up most of what we listen to).
2021 saw some interesting big-name radio appointments. Emma Barnett and Anita Rani joined Woman's Hour to great success, though the former started contentiously (Kelechi Okafor refused to appear when she overheard Barnett discussing with producers whether Okafor was antisemitic). Amol Rajan moved to Today, where he has brought a more conversational feel (when he remembers to slow down his natural gabble). In late spring, much-loved Radio 1 stalwarts Annie MacManus and Nick Grimshaw both announced their departures, with MacManus's final link achieving a life of its own on social media (Life is short. It thunders by. If you like the music, you have got to get up and dance. Just do it"). And 6 Music's afternoon dafty Shaun Keaveny also left, but sadly not of his own accord: his funky replacement, Craig Charles, is upbeat but less of a natural fit. Graham Norton quit his Radio 2 Saturday morning show to do the same on Saturdays and Sundays for Virgin Radio (no effect on Virgin's Rajars thus far). On 5 live breakfast, Rick Edwards joined Rachel Burden, replacing Nicky Campbell without fuss or trouble.
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