Misha Glenny Takes Over In Our Time, And the Pressure Is Immense
Good evening and tonight we’re looking at a major moment for British broadcasting, one that quietly marks the end of an era and the start of a very delicate transition.
After more than a quarter of a century, Melvyn Bragg is stepping away from Radio 4’s In Our Time, a programme that has shaped how millions of people engage with history, science, philosophy and ideas. And now, that iconic chair is being taken by journalist, author and broadcaster Misha Glenny.
This is not just a change of presenter. This is a handover of one of the BBC’s crown jewels.
Glenny himself admits he was stunned to get the call. This is a show with nearly two million listeners and a global podcast audience and Bragg’s presence has been so dominant that many wondered if the programme could ever sound the same again. Glenny’s message is clear though. This is evolution, not revolution.
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He brings serious credentials to the role. Decades of reporting from central and eastern Europe, award-winning journalism, bestselling books like McMafia and deep experience guiding complex conversations on radio. He knows how to handle difficult subjects and he knows how to listen. But he also knows the challenge ahead. In Our Time now competes in a crowded audio world, with popular history podcasts like The Rest Is History pulling in huge younger audiences.
Glenny says depth still matters, even in an age of constant distraction. He wants the programme to remain rigorous but accessible and he’s open to small changes, perhaps adjusting the number of guests, perhaps broadening topics, but without breaking what already works. Importantly, he’s very aware that younger listeners are already tuning in and he wants to keep them.
There’s also a personal side to this story. Glenny has lived through war reporting, personal trauma and profound loss, experiences that have shaped how he approaches ideas, suffering and human history. He speaks openly about how those moments still stay with him and how reading, thinking and conversation remain essential anchors in a noisy world.
And then there’s the advice coming from home. His wife, broadcaster Kirsty Lang, has been blunt with him. If discussions drift, he’ll need to be tougher. Bragg was famously sharp when guests wandered. Glenny knows that intellectual discipline is part of the job.
So what does this mean for listeners? Expect the same curiosity, the same seriousness, but guided by a different voice and a different life story. The real test will be trust. Can audiences build the same confidence in Glenny that they had in Bragg?
That transition begins now and for a programme built on ideas that last centuries, the next few months may be some of the most important in its history.
That’s the story for now.
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