Thought For The Day – Friday 7^th February 2025

Today, we are delighted,  and honoured, to welcome the BBC’s highly respected radio programme “Any Questions?”. 

This programme travels around the United Kingdom and occasionally to Europe.  The programme is broadcast live, on “BBC Radio 4”, after the news at 8 p.m., on most Friday evenings of the year. The programme is subsequently repeated on Saturday lunchtimes on Radio 4 at 1.10 p.m., and is followed at 2 p.m. by “Any Answers?” a “phone-in”, with the excellent presenter, journalist, historian and author Anita Anand, which gives listeners a chance to join in the debate by calling or e-mailing the programme.

The format of the programme, as the title suggests,  is that the audience submit questions on the day of the broadcast. With super focus and efficiency,  these questions are then all read by the BBC producer in around one hour. A handful of questions across a range of subjects are selected. Normally, four to six of them are included in the actual broadcast.  Importantly, the panel,  chosen and booked by the programme, do not know the questions in advance.  They hear them for the first time at the same moment the audience at the programme and home does. Like in examinations, speed of thought and correct choice of words is vital.  As is answering the question posed.

The panel is always balanced with guests coming from the fields of Politics, the Arts, Science, Business, Economics, the Media, Law and many other areas of public life.

At the heart of the programme is respectful and rigorous, and democratic, debate, dialogue and discussion about key moral, political and social issues.  Good humour, and respect, accompanies such a vibrant and vital dialectic.

“Any Questions?” has had very distinguished presenters and chairs. The role is an important one in broadcasting generally, and in the programme itself ,as diverse perspectives are shared and managed and further questioning, and probing, is deployed (just like in your lessons).  Further underlining the significance of the role, there have only ever been six presenters in the programme’s history.   The current presenter is Alex Forsyth, a BBC Political Correspondent since 2014.  Very appropriately, Alex Forsyth is the first permanent female presenter of the programme.  Alex Forsyth is an inspirational leader of the programme on air.

“Any Questions?” was first broadcast on Friday 12th October 1948.  It is the longest running live discussion programme in the UK.  Every Prime Minister since Harold Wilson has appeared on Any Questions at some point in their political career. 2025 marks the third time the programme has visited The Bishop’s Stortford High School, following editions, live from London Road, in January 1999 and June 2012.

Currently, around 1.5 million people listen to the programme.  Radio 4 has a global reach also.

Behind every production in life,  there are always unsung heroes.  Mrs. McCoig and Mrs. Stacey, and the cleaning team, were getting the school areas being used ready last evening.  Audience members have been reserving tickets in the past few weeks. The BBC engineers will be setting up the School Hall to be a radio studio this morning and afternoon.  The caretaking, catering,  technical,  PTFA , car parking, front of house, senior management, governor, staff and student leadership teams will,  once again, play a very important role. Just as they do with all school events.  There are a number of staff, and students,  who will be meeting at 5.30.p.m., who are involved in supporting this very professional event, as is the case with anything anyone does in life generally.  Life is an equal, diverse, inclusive and humble team game.

We are very grateful to them, to the wonderful audience, who will be arriving from 6 p.m., and  without whom there would be no programme, to the distinguished panel, to the Security Team and to the BBC’s brilliant “Any Questions?” team for their outstanding encouragement,  generosity, goodwill, guidance, kindness and support.

We do not take any of this for granted.

We do not forget that for the BBC “Any Questions?” team they produce such opportunities throughout the country, and beyond, week after week after week.

As our former student Greg James always states, radio is such a powerful medium.  It is good for the mind, body, heart and soul. Because, with radio,  one has to engage, listen and reflect. And listening and reflecting, as well as contributing, is such a vital attitude and skill.  That all said, we must always be very mindful of those who need different and equally valuable forms of communication.

“Any Questions?” will be broadcast live tonight, on “BBC Radio 4”, just after 8 p.m. , from the new School Hall of The Bishop’s Stortford High School.  If you cannot be there, and there are just a few tickets still available if you wish to email Anyquestionstbshs@tbshs.org, please tune in. And do not forget “Any Answers?” on Saturday at 2 p.m.

“Any Questions?”

“Any Answers?”