Martha Kearney to interview Cate Blanchett as first guest in her new series This Natural Life

July 18, 2024 – After six years at the helm, this morning Martha Kearney presented her final edition of Today, Radio 4’s flagship morning news programme, alongside Amol Rajan. During the programme, Martha interviewed Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Director of the British Museum Nicholas Cullinan with tributes from colleagues including James Naughtie and Garry Richardson.

In a highlights reel led by Kirsty Wark celebrating moments from across Martha’s wideranging career, Today paid tribute to her skill and tenacity as a reporter on the ground who is respected and trusted by listeners. From covering every election since 1987, including high profile interviews with numerous prime ministers across the decades, through to presenting on climate change whilst on location in Antarctica, as well as sharing her own passions for culinary delights, beekeeping and braving cold water swimming.

Martha bid an emotional goodbye to her colleagues, and Radio 4 Today listeners and left the studio to a round of applause.

Having worked at the BBC since 1988, Martha launches her new Radio 4 interview series later this year, This Natural Life, which celebrates her love of the outside world. The upcoming series from BBC Audio Bristol will celebrate nature and the amazing power of the natural world to give us hope, wonder, solace and awe. In one-to-one interviews with nature lovers on location, Martha will explore how nature has become an important part of their lives – perhaps as a source of inspiration, a place to unwind, or just their passion.

Her first guest will be actor Cate Blanchett, and other names joining her across the series include chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, broadcaster Hamza Yassin, actor and director Martin Clunes and nature writer Richard Mabey, with more names to come. In This Natural Life, Martha will share the joy that nature can bring to everyone.

Martha’s own love of nature can be seen through TV programmes she has presented including The Wonder of Bees and The Great Butterfly Adventure.

Martha Kearney says: “After more than four decades in the news jungle, I’m escaping to the wild world of nature programmes. I’m hugely excited to be sharing my own passion with some fascinating guests in my new series This Natural Life. Of course I will miss being at the heart of breaking stories, our amazing production team and all the listeners who say they wake up with me. The 3am alarm call… not so much.”

Director of Speech and Controller of BBC Radio 4, Mohit Bakaya, says: “Martha is a brilliant journalist and presenter, who has navigated us through important news stories over the years, and led Radio 4’s coverage for significant national events, including the Queen’s funeral and King’s coronation. I am delighted that she is staying with Radio 4, bringing her considerable knowledge, passion and experience of the natural world to Open Country and our exciting new interview show, This Natural Life.”

Editor of Today, Owenna Griffiths, says: “It’s been my great privilege to be Martha’s editor both at The World at One and Today. She’s a journalist with great tenacity, insight and a wonderfully broad range of interests. Above all she’s a warm and generous colleague who will be missed by me and the team.”

This Natural Life is a BBC Audio Bristol production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.