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| David Dimbleby chides John Humphrys over 'posh' jibe in interview | David Dimbleby chides John Humphrys over 'posh' jibe in interview |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| David Dimbleby took umbrage when the BBC Radio 4 host John Humphrys described him as posh. | David Dimbleby took umbrage when the BBC Radio 4 host John Humphrys described him as posh. |
| Dimbleby, who was guest-editing the Today programme on Saturday morning, responded sharply when he was asked about his views on the monarchy. | Dimbleby, who was guest-editing the Today programme on Saturday morning, responded sharply when he was asked about his views on the monarchy. |
| Humphrys said he imagined Dimbleby had been quite close to the Windsors over the years, given the number of royal occasions he had covered and the fact that he was “quite posh”. | Humphrys said he imagined Dimbleby had been quite close to the Windsors over the years, given the number of royal occasions he had covered and the fact that he was “quite posh”. |
| “Sorry John, there’s a typical sneer in that question,” Dimbleby fired back. “You’re quite posh, I’m about as posh as you are. I come from Wales, you do. I’m not posh, I happen to have been a broadcaster for a long time.” | “Sorry John, there’s a typical sneer in that question,” Dimbleby fired back. “You’re quite posh, I’m about as posh as you are. I come from Wales, you do. I’m not posh, I happen to have been a broadcaster for a long time.” |
| “You had a very distinguished father,” Humphrys retorted, referring to Richard Dimbleby OBE MBE, a leading news commentator for the BBC during the 1950s. | “You had a very distinguished father,” Humphrys retorted, referring to Richard Dimbleby OBE MBE, a leading news commentator for the BBC during the 1950s. |
| “Well, that doesn’t make me posh, I had a distinguished father, that’s a ridiculous question,” Dimbleby said. “No, but the point is about the monarchy. I’m not close to the monarchy, I’ve met the Queen probably less often than you. I’ve met her once, I think. I have no connection at all.” | “Well, that doesn’t make me posh, I had a distinguished father, that’s a ridiculous question,” Dimbleby said. “No, but the point is about the monarchy. I’m not close to the monarchy, I’ve met the Queen probably less often than you. I’ve met her once, I think. I have no connection at all.” |
| “I don’t know why I made that assumption,” Humphrys said, before going on to question Dimbleby on what he thought about the monarchy. | “I don’t know why I made that assumption,” Humphrys said, before going on to question Dimbleby on what he thought about the monarchy. |
| David Dimbleby says goodbye after 25 years on Question Time | David Dimbleby says goodbye after 25 years on Question Time |
| Dimbleby replied: “I think that the politics of the monarchy is fascinating, and the way that after Queen Victoria’s reign, Edward VII, George V, was repositioned. You have to reposition the institution.” | Dimbleby replied: “I think that the politics of the monarchy is fascinating, and the way that after Queen Victoria’s reign, Edward VII, George V, was repositioned. You have to reposition the institution.” |
| Asked what question he would ask himself in an interview, Dimbleby said: “Ever think of stopping? And I’d say ‘no, I just love asking questions, I’m not sure I like answering them.’” | Asked what question he would ask himself in an interview, Dimbleby said: “Ever think of stopping? And I’d say ‘no, I just love asking questions, I’m not sure I like answering them.’” |
| Humphrys thanked Dimbleby for guest-editing the Today programme, and noted that he is “positively not posh”. | Humphrys thanked Dimbleby for guest-editing the Today programme, and noted that he is “positively not posh”. |
| Dimbleby also revealed his previous attempts to assume high positions at the national broadcaster during the interview. “I twice tried to become director general and I once tried to become chairman,” he said. | Dimbleby also revealed his previous attempts to assume high positions at the national broadcaster during the interview. “I twice tried to become director general and I once tried to become chairman,” he said. |
| Asked whether the BBC was doing what it should be now, he said: “I think its a brilliant organisation, I still think it … has far too many management people in it, and not enough people like you and Mishal [Husain]. I think the business of cutting back the bureaucracy is really important.” | Asked whether the BBC was doing what it should be now, he said: “I think its a brilliant organisation, I still think it … has far too many management people in it, and not enough people like you and Mishal [Husain]. I think the business of cutting back the bureaucracy is really important.” |
| David Dimbleby | David Dimbleby |
| The Observer | |
| John Humphrys | John Humphrys |
| BBC | BBC |
| Question Time | Question Time |
| Radio 4 | Radio 4 |
| Monarchy | Monarchy |
| news | news |
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