Dame Jenni Murray, who hosted BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour from 1987 to 2020, has died at the age of 75.

The esteemed broadcaster was the Radio 4 programme’s longest-serving presenter.

Dame Jenni, born in Barnsley, began her career on the airwaves at BBC Radio Bristol in 1973 before becoming a reporter of regional news on South Today.

She also became a newsreader and presenter on Newsnight, where she worked for two years before moving across to Radio 4

Dame Jenni took over from Sue MacGregor on Woman’s Hour, the hugely popular show that discusses topics relevant to a female audience, six years ago, hosting her final show on October 1, 2020.

Beyond her broadcasting work, Dame Jenni wrote several books, her first being Woman’s Hour: 50 Years of British Women in 1996, and her last being Fat Cow, Fat Chance: The Science and Psychology of Size in 2020.

She had been married twice, firstly to Brian Murray, whom she wed aged 21 and remained with for six years, and secondly to David Forgham. She and Forgham have two grown-up sons.

In December 2006, Dame Jenni announced to listeners that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer.