Misha Glenny reveals his wife Kirsty Lang’s advice as he replaces Melvyn Bragg for Our Time

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Misha Glenny was completely surprised and delighted to be named the new presenter of In Our Time. He says he was ‘astonished, flabbergasted, absolutely thrilled’ with the opportunity. Glenny is taking over from Melvyn Bragg, who hosted the show for 27 years. ‘It’s a real honour to take on one of Radio 4’s most prestigious programmes,’ Glenny explained, ‘especially following such a respected figure as Melvyn.’

Like the two million people who tune in to learn, Glenny was particularly captivated by one episode: the January 2008 program on plate tectonics. He remembers being in a hurry to leave but needing to hear the conclusion, which was that life as we know it wouldn’t exist without these shifting plates. “It was amazing!” he said.

I’ve been thinking about what changes I might make to the show, and it’s a delicate balance. The saying ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ definitely applies, but I’m considering adding or subtracting a guest to see what works best. I really want to reach a younger audience too – In Our Time is surprisingly popular with people under 35, and that’s something I want to build on. Mostly, I’m aiming for a seamless handover. I need people to feel as comfortable listening to me as they did with Melvyn. Frank Skinner actually described Melvyn as an ‘intellectual sheepdog,’ which I think is a brilliant way to put it – he just gently guided you through these complex ideas, and that’s what I’m hoping to achieve.

Melvyn Bragg had a knack for steering conversations back on track when they wandered, and it remains to be seen if Glenny can do the same. Bragg attributes his ability to not being confrontational, but credits his wife, Kirsty Lang, a seasoned and demanding presenter, for helping him improve. She’s already advised him to be more assertive.

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What’s fascinating about this pairing is the contrast in backgrounds. Bragg, a true voice of the people with his working-class, Northern roots, is very different from Glenny, who comes from a privileged London upbringing. Glenny himself acknowledges this, admitting he’s had far greater access to knowledge than someone starting out as a tradesperson. He grew up in a financially struggling, but intellectually rich, home – his father was a gifted, though poorly paid, Russian literature translator, and Glenny himself benefitted from a scholarship. He hopes his own difficult life experiences will balance out that privileged start, and it’s a compelling dynamic to watch unfold.

Glenny’s work has exposed him to extreme hardship, from witnessing deep poverty in Brazilian slums to hearing accounts of horrific events while researching his book, McMafia. He believes his career has been marked by difficult and upsetting experiences, which led him to join the Institute for Human Sciences. While he wonders if his position in Vienna helped him cope, he credits his wife, Kirsty, as a major source of support. However, the most profound trauma came eleven years ago when his 22-year-old daughter died by suicide, a loss he admits he is still healing from and knows he will never fully overcome.

So, from what I gather, he has a daughter from a previous marriage – he’s pretty private about the details, which is fair enough. He also has a son with his current partner, Lang. And get this – I heard his wife, you know, the one hosting ‘Round Britain Quiz’ on Radio 4, actually didn’t want the ‘In Our Time’ gig herself! He joked that she’d probably be way better at it than he is, and honestly, I can’t argue with that.

As a long-time listener, I remember when In Our Time first started back in ’98 – it felt like a real discovery! Now it’s amazing how many people around the world tune in. It’s a bit sad though, thinking about how the BBC, which was such a trusted voice during the wars in Yugoslavia, doesn’t seem to carry the same weight internationally anymore. Apparently, they’ve been cutting funding to things like their language services and the World Service, and honestly, that feels like a real loss – a truly distressing one, as one expert put it.

New challenges are emerging from streaming platforms, social media, and the growing use of artificial intelligence. This rapid technological change poses a real threat to how we form and maintain meaningful connections with each other. Many of us have already felt the effects of social media and the internet – a constant distraction that makes it hard to focus and think clearly.

It’s funny, even someone as smart as Misha Glenny gets sucked into the endless scroll, right? He totally admitted it! But he has a great way of fighting back – he carves out at least two hours every day just to read. And he’s a big fan of BBC Radio 4’s ‘In Our Time.’ He says it’s perfect because the topics are things you’re curious about but maybe wouldn’t normally seek out. Apparently, the first few episodes he was involved with covered everything from John Stuart Mill’s ‘On Liberty’ to the brutal world of Roman gladiators, and then…get this…the Mariana Trench! I made a joke about how deep that is, but he quickly corrected me – it’s profound, he said. It’s cool to see even brilliant people needing to actively protect their focus like that.

Authors

Michael Hodges

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2026-01-14 11:40