Emma Barnett

{{Short description|British broadcaster and journalist (born 1985)}}

{{Infobox person

| image = File:-rpTEN - Tag 3 (26811456545) (cropped).jpg

| caption = Barnett in 2016

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1985|2|5|df=y}}

| birth_place = Salford, England

| death_date =

| death_place =

| education = Manchester High School for Girls

| alma_mater = University of Nottingham (BA)
Cardiff University (MA)

| occupation = Journalist
TV and radio presenter

| notable_works =

| title =

| spouse = {{marriage|Jeremy Weil|2012}}

| children = 2

| relatives =

}}

Emma Barnett (born 5 February 1985) is a British broadcaster and journalist who presented Woman's Hour on BBC Radio 4 from 2021 until 2024.

Barnett worked for BBC Radio 5 Live for six years, beginning in 2014, after three years working for LBC. Between 2016 and 2020, she presented 5 Live's mid-morning weekday programme. Before beginning her broadcasting career she worked for The Daily Telegraph, first as its Digital Media editor and latterly its Women editor, being credited with bringing a more serious edge to the coverage of women's issues in the paper. Between August 2016 and 2020, she was a columnist for The Sunday Times and, from June 2017, a co-presenter of BBC One's Sunday Morning Live. In autumn 2017, she was one of the presenters on the live discussion programme After the News on ITV. Between 2019 and 2022, she was a regular presenter of the BBC's news and current affairs show Newsnight. In March 2024, Barnett announced she would step down from Woman's Hour in April, to join the BBC's long-running Today programme, as part of their presenting team.{{Cite web |date=2024-03-15 |title=Emma Barnett to leave Woman's Hour in major BBC shakeup |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/today-radio-4-bbc-emma-barnett-b2513255.html |access-date=2024-03-16|first=Jacob|last=Stolworthy |website=The Independent}}{{Cite news |last=Topping |first=Alexandra |date=2024-03-15 |title=Emma Barnett to join BBC Radio 4's Today programme |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2024/mar/15/emma-barnett-to-join-bbc-radio-4-today-programme-presenter |access-date=2024-03-16 |work=The Guardian |issn=0261-3077}}

Early life and education

Barnett was born on 5 February 1985 at Hope Hospital in Salford to Jewish parents, Ian, a commercial property surveyor, and Michele Barnett and is a single child.{{cite news |last1=Child |first1=David |title=Emma Barnett's career history as she's announced as the new Radio 4 Woman's Hour presenter |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/emma-barnett-career-history-radio-4-womans-hour-a4541851.html |work=Evening Standard |date=7 September 2020}}{{Cite web |last=Bourne |first=Dianne |date=2024-05-25 |title=BBC Radio star Emma Barnett on creating a Manchester colouring book |url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/family-kids-news/bbc-radio-star-emma-barnett-29015047.amp |access-date=25 February 2025 |work=Manchester Evening News |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Jackson |first=Jasper |date=2016-09-18 |title=Emma Barnett joins the big league on BBC Radio 5 Live |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/sep/18/emma-barnett-joins-big-league-bbc-radio-5-live-talk-radio |access-date=2025-02-22 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}} Her grandmother fled Wiener Neustadt,{{cite web|title=Wiley, Jews don't run the world|url=https://www.thejc.com/comment/opinion/wiley-jews-don-t-run-the-world-1.502003|newspaper=The JC|first=Emma |last=Barnett|date=28 July 2020}} Austria, to escape the Nazis.{{cite web|title=BBC radio host Emma Barnett issues powerful condemnation of Wiley antisemitism: 'Those words burn'|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/wiley-antisemitism-twitter-bbc-radio-dj-emma-barnett-a9640246.html|first=Roisin|last=O'Connor|newspaper=The Independent|date=27 July 2020}}

Barnett was brought up in Broughton Park. She attended Manchester High School for Girls, a private school. In 2006 she graduated with a degree in History and Politics from the University of Nottingham.{{cite news| last =Barnett| first =Emma | title =Kirstie Allsopp—Are her views on women for real?| work =The Daily Telegraph | location=London| date =2 June 2014|access-date=30 May 2017| url =https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/mother-tongue/10869696/Kirstie-Allsopp-Are-her-views-on-women-for-real.html}}{{cite news|url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/a-levels-emmas-flawless-score-1150122| title =A Levels: Emma's flawless score|work=Manchester Evening News|date=18 January 2013|orig-year=10 August 2004|access-date=31 May 2017}} She took a postgraduate course in journalism at the Cardiff School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies.{{cite web|url=http://www.changingpeople.co.uk/2015/inspirational-women-emma-barnett/|title=Inspirational women – Emma Barnett|website=Changing People|date=10 November 2015|access-date=1 June 2017}}

In 2010, Barnett's father was sentenced to three years and eight months in prison for operating brothels in the Greater Manchester area, following a prior eight month suspended sentence in 2005, after which he had continued to operate the brothels under other people's names.{{cite web|title='Vile and immoral' man jailed|url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/vile-and-immoral-man-jailed-943459|newspaper=Manchester Evening News|date=12 January 2013|access-date=30 September 2020}} Her mother received a suspended sentence for money laundering related to income from the brothels.{{cite web|title=School aide laundered brothel cash|url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/school-aide-laundered-brothel-cash-946427|newspaper=Manchester Evening News|date=21 January 2013|access-date=30 September 2020}} According to police, they "found emails between Mr Barnett and his daughter Emma, talking about his 'whores'". Although Barnett refuses to talk about or answer questions concerning her father's conviction,{{cite news |last=Thomson|first=Alice|title= Emma Barnett: 'The pain was so bad, I was losing the will to live'|url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/emma-barnett-today-programme-ivf-endometriosis-interview-9qh0ljkvm |newspaper=The Times |date= 10 May 2024|accessdate=8 August 2024}} she has written that the experience traumatised her{{cite news |last=Sanderson|first=David|title= Emma Barnett to host Woman's Hour as Radio 4 chases younger listeners|url= https://www.thetimes.com/uk/media/article/barnett-to-host-woman-s-hour-as-radio-4-chases-younger-listeners-rpbzsbl3j|newspaper=The Times|date= 8 September 2020|accessdate=8 August 2024}} and that it has been a "long, horribly bumpy road to forgiveness".

Career

Following the postgraduate course at Cardiff, Barnett began her career in journalism at Media Week in 2007 and joined The Daily Telegraph in 2009, later becoming the paper's first digital media editor,{{cite news|last=Bussey|first=Cathy|url=http://www.prweek.com/article/1097076/spotlight-emma-barnett-the-internet-moved-on|title=Spotlight on...Emma Barnett: 'The Internet Has Moved On'|work=PR Week|date=6 October 2011|access-date=1 June 2017}} and then, from 2012, the women's editor. Barnett launched The Telegraph{{'}}s digital section, "Wonder Women", in October 2012 with contributors such as Cathy Newman of Channel 4 News.{{cite news|last=Turvill|first=William|url=http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/telegraph-launches-sassy-website-women/|title=Telegraph launches 'sassy' website for women|work=Press Gazette|date=1 October 2012|access-date=1 June 2017}}{{cite news|last=Barnett|first=Emma|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/9571873/Welcome-to-Wonder-Women-new-from-The-Telegraph.html|title=Welcome to Wonder Women, new from The Telegraph|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=1 October 2012|access-date=30 May 2017}}{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/jun/08/emma-barnett-bbc-radio-5-live-shelagh-fogarty-victoria-derbyshire|title=Emma Barnett to host BBC Radio 5 Live morning show|last=Jackson|first=Jasper|date=18 September 2016|work=The Guardian|access-date=30 May 2017}} She also became chair of the UJIA Jewish media network{{cite news|url=https://www.thejc.com/news/the-diary/radio-s-new-golden-girl-1.34602?highlight=emma+barnett|title=Radio's new golden girl|date=27 July 2012|access-date=18 October 2020|work=Jewish Chronicle}} and of the UJIA Skirt Network, a networking group for Jewish women.{{cite news|url=https://www.thejc.com/community/community-news/ujia-shows-some-skirt-1.44558?highlight=emma+barnett|title=UJIA shows some Skirt|last=Shelnman|first=Anna|date=6 May 2013|access-date=19 October 2020|work=The Jewish Chronicle}}

A radio presenter for LBC for almost three years until early 2014, Barnett joined BBC Radio 5 Live that summer.{{cite news|last=Plunkett|first=John|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/jul/07/bbc-radio-5-live-emma-barnett-daily-telegraph|title=BBC Radio 5 Live recruits Emma Barnett for new Sunday night show|work=The Guardian|date=7 July 2014|access-date=30 May 2017}} From November 2014, she presented the station's Hit List programme, a countdown of the 40 highest profile online news stories of the week.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2014/5live-hit-list|title=Emma Barnett to present The 5 live Hit List|agency=BBC Media Centre|date=14 October 2014|access-date=30 May 2017}} After leaving The Telegraph, Barnett started presenting the morning slot on BBC Radio 5 Live in September 2016, being the first woman to have a solo daily slot since the departure of Shelagh Fogarty and Victoria Derbyshire two years earlier in a new-look schedule.

In April 2014, Barnett was a judge for the power liston BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour,{{cite web|title=Woman's Hour Power List 2014 – the panel|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007qlvb/features/power-list-panel-2014|publisher=BBC Radio 4}} a programme on which she had already been an occasional presenter, the youngest in the programme's history.{{cite news|last=Delgado|first=Kasia|url=http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2016-09-21/emma-barnett-is-on-a-mission-to-smash-taboos-on-radio-5-live|title=Emma Barnett is on a mission to smash taboos on Radio 5 Live|work=Radio Times|date=21 September 2016|access-date=31 May 2017}}{{cite news|last=Morrison|first=Sarah|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/women-of-the-future-awards-full-shortlist-8831546.html|title=Women of the Future Awards: Full shortlist|work=The Independent|date=21 September 2013|access-date=31 May 2017}} A decade before Barnett began her role on Woman's Hour, at 17, she did work experience with its presenter, Jenni Murray. Additionally, she has made documentaries for Radio 4.

In August 2016, Barnett's 'Tough Love' agony column began in The Sunday Times Magazine. To encourage her readers to write in about difficult issues, she referred to "the most painful chapter of my life" when her father was "imprisoned for living off immoral earnings"{{cite news |last=Barnett |first=Emma |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/tough-love-ask-me-anything-nkcbszgs9 |title=Tough love |work=The Sunday Times |date=7 August 2016 |access-date=31 May 2017 }} {{subscription required}} "after pleading guilty to keeping brothels with a turnover of more than £2.5m".{{cite news |url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/school-aide-laundered-brothel-cash-946427 |title=School aide laundered brothel cash |work=Manchester Evening News |date=19 April 2010 |access-date=6 December 2022 }}

In March 2018, Barnett began a series of podcasts for Historic England entitled Irreplaceable: A History of England in 100 Places. The podcast, presented by Barnett and Dr. Suzannah Lipscomb, was nominated for the British Podcast Awards in the 'Best Branded Content' category in April 2018.

In March 2019, she became one of the regular presenters on BBC Two's Newsnight.{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2019/emily-maitlis-newsnight |title= Emily Maitlis announced as new lead presenter for Newsnight |agency=BBC Media Centre|date=20 March 2019|access-date=3 April 2019}} In 2019 her book Period. It's About Bloody Time was released, which covered her experience of endometriosis.{{Cite news|url=https://inews.co.uk/culture/books/period-emma-barnett-book-review-337796|title=Period by Emma Barnett: A self-help guide, not a manifesto|work=inews|last=Speed|first=Barbara|date=12 September 2019}}

In January 2021, Barnett became the main presenter of Woman's Hour on BBC Radio 4.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-54055270|title=Emma Barnett to present Radio 4's Woman's Hour|work=BBC News|date=7 September 2020|access-date = 24 February 2025}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2020/emma-barnett-new-womans-hour-presenter|title=Emma Barnett to be the new host of Woman's Hour|publisher=BBC Media Centre|date=7 September 2020}} In Barnett's first week, a guest on the programme, Kelechi Okafor, refused to be interviewed by her after overhearing her discuss with the programme producers what Barnett called "allegedly anti-semitic comments" previously made by Okafor.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/jan/06/bbc-womans-hour-guest-drops-out-after-presenters-comments|title=BBC Woman's Hour guest drops out after presenter's comments|last1=Wolfe-Robinson|first1=Maya|last2=Bland|first2=Archie|date=6 January 2021|access-date=6 January 2021|work=The Guardian}} In the following month, one hundred public figures signed an open letter to the BBC criticising what they called Barnett's "strikingly hostile" interview of Zara Mohammed, the Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/feb/17/bbc-under-fire-over-strikingly-hostile-interview-of-muslim-council-of-britain-head|title=BBC under fire over 'strikingly hostile' interview of Muslim Council of Britain head|last=Mohdin|first=Aamna|date=17 February 2021|access-date=17 February 2021|work=The Guardian}}{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-56109939|title=BBC Woman's Hour accused of 'hostile' interview with Muslim leader|date=18 February 2021|access-date=25 February 2025|work=BBC News}} In June 2021, Sinéad O'Connor complained about how Barnett had questioned her about her mental health during a Woman's Hour interview. O'Connor announced, because of the interview, she would retire from performing, but two days later retracted her decision to retire.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/jun/08/sinead-oconnor-retracts-retirement-announcement|title= Sinéad O'Connor retracts retirement announcement|last=Snapes|first=Laura|work= The Guardian|date=8 June 2021}}

In January 2022, Barnett started a new role at Bloomberg, hosting the weekly show Emma Barnett Meets.{{Cite web |title=Emma Barnett Meets – Bloomberg |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/qt/series/emma-barnett-meets |access-date=2022-06-19 |website=www.bloomberg.com|date=11 May 2022 }} In this role, she has interviewed prominent figures including Al Sharpton, Anthony Fauci and Tim Berners Lee.

In March 2024, Barnett announced she was stepping down from Woman's Hour in April, to join the presenting team on BBC Radio 4's Today and replacing Martha Kearney, who was leaving the programme after the 2024 General Election.{{Cite news |last=Topping |first=Alexandra |date=2024-02-27 |title=Emma Barnett tipped for Today presenter job after Martha Kearney steps down |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2024/feb/27/emma-barnett-tipped-for-today-presenter-job-after-martha-kearney-steps-down |access-date=2024-03-16 |work=The Guardian |issn=0261-3077}} She presented her first edition of Today on 15 May 2024.

Awards

Barnett was named in two consecutive annual lists of the Radio Academy's 30 under 30 list. She also made the 20 under 30 Hot List feature in Red magazine in 2011.{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/digital-media/8360846/Red-magazines-20-Under-30-The-Hot-List.html|title=Red magazine's 20 Under 30: 'The Hot List'|work=The Telegraph|date=4 March 2011|access-date=30 May 2017}} While at The Telegraph, Barnett was named Digital Journalist of the Year by the Association of Online Publishers and Digital Writer of the Year at the 2011 Online Media Awards. She was named best newcomer at the Arqiva commercial radio awards in 2012. She was named Broadcaster of the Year in 2017 by the Political Studies Association{{Cite web|date=6 December 2017|title=Meet the winners of the PSA Awards 2017|url=https://www.psa.ac.uk/psa/news/meet-winners-psa-awards-2017|website=Political Studies Association}} and Radio Broadcaster of the Year in 2018 by the Broadcasting Press Guild.{{Cite web|title=BPG TV & Radio Awards 2018|url=http://www.broadcastingpressguild.org/bpg-awards/2018-2/|website=Broadcasting Press Guild|date=16 March 2018}}

Barnett won the Gold award for Best Speech Presenter at the 2022 Audio and Radio Industry Awards for her work on Woman's Hour.{{cite web| title= ARIAS 2022 Winners| url= https://www.radioacademy.org/arias/nominees/| website= The Radio Academy| accessdate= 8 May 2022| archive-date= 30 April 2022| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220430151023/https://www.radioacademy.org/arias/nominees/| url-status= dead}}

Personal life

Barnett met her husband, Jeremy Weil, when they were both studying at Nottingham University and married at the New West End Synagogue in Bayswater in 2012.{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/parenting/article/emma-barnett-today-programme-interview-w36832p50|title=Emma Barnett on Today, turning 40 and why maternity leave is no holiday|last=Pullman|first=Laura|date=23 February 2025|access-date=23 February 2025|work=The Sunday Times}}{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/emma-barnett-facebook-meddling-caused-my-marriage-break-up-28901712.html|title=Emma Barnett: Facebook meddling caused my marriage 'break-up'|last=Barnett|first=Emma|date=15 November 2012|access-date=19 October 2020|work=Irish Independent}} In 2018, they had a son and in 2023, they had a daughter, after five rounds of IVF and experiencing one miscarriage.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/sep/13/emma-barnett-firebrand-womans-hour|title=Emma Barnett: the firebrand taking on the challenge of Woman's Hour|last=Thorpe|first=Vanessa|date=13 September 2020|access-date=18 October 2020|work=The Guardian}}{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-46221187|title=Why maternity leave can be harder and lonelier than you imagine|last=Barnett|first=Emma|date=29 November 2018|access-date=18 October 2020|work=BBC}} They live in Brixton, south London, having moved from Notting Hill in 2013.{{cite web|url=https://www.emmabarnett.org/about.html|title=About|access-date=9 February 2021|work=emmabarnett.org}}{{Cite web |last=O'Keeffe |first=Niamh |date=2021-01-14 |title=My London: Emma Barnett |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/insider/my-london-emma-barnett-es-magazine-b833038.html |access-date=2023-04-12 |work=Evening Standard}}{{Cite web |last=Strick |first=Katie |date=16 July 2024 |title=BBC star Emma Barnett on her unlikely new side-hustle |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/emma-barnett-husband-today-programme-side-hustle-b1166430.html |access-date=14 February 2025 |work=The Standard |language=en}}

Barnett is an Orthodox Jew but, religiously, is not very observant,{{cite news|last=Barnett|first=Emma|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/10688125/Can-you-really-be-an-Orthodox-Jew-and-a-feminist.html|title=Can you really be an Orthodox Jew and a feminist?|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=11 March 2014|access-date=30 May 2017}} and is ambivalent about both Orthodox and Reform Judaism.{{cite news|last=Barnett|first=Emma|url=https://www.thejc.com/comment/comment/reform-orthodox-i-m-not-sure-where-i-belong-1.54391|title=Reform? Orthodox? I'm not sure where I belong|work=The Jewish Chronicle|date=27 October 2016|access-date=31 May 2017}} In a 2014 BBC Radio segment, she expressed discomfort at women being rabbis.{{cite web |title=Emma Barnett talks to Rabbi Sylvia Rothschild |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03xdmzb |publisher=BBC Radio 4 |access-date=20 February 2021 |quote=Emma Barnett is a feminist who believes in equality for women but, as an orthodox Jew, she's uncomfortable with female rabbis, like Sylvia Rothschild. Can she resolve this tension?}} She has volunteered for British Jewish welfare charity Norwood.

Barnett was a member of the Women's Equality Party.{{cite news|last=Barnett|first=Emma|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/11680334/Feminism-is-sadly-a-toxic-word-and-us-feminists-should-remember-that.html|title=Feminism is a toxic word and us feminists should remember that|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=18 June 2015|access-date=2 June 2017}}

=Health=

Barnett suffers from endometriosis and inflammation.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/article/2024/aug/24/broadcaster-emma-barnett-looks-back|title=Broadcaster Emma Barnett: 'My role is to be OK with not being liked; but that's something I've had to develop'|work= The Guardian|access-date = 25 February 2025|date= 24 August 2024|author= Gibsone, Hariet}} In August 2024 she discussed living with pain in a BBC Radio 4 interview with Kirsty Young.{{Cite web |date=2024-08-08 |title=Kirsty Young: Presenter reveals 'loneliness' of chronic pain |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cljydnx13g7o |access-date=2024-08-08 |publisher=BBC News |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web|url=https://livewellwithpain.co.uk/pain-news/live-well-with-pain-on-radio-4s-today-programme/|title='Fantastic' Live Well with Pain highlighted on Radio 4's Today programme}}

References

External links

[https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qj9z Today] (BBC Radio 4)
[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/journalists/emma-barnett/ "Contributor page: Emma Barnett"], The Telegraph website

Category:1985 births

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century British journalists

Category:21st-century British women writers

Category:Alumni of Cardiff University

Category:Alumni of the University of Nottingham

Category:BBC Radio 4 presenters

Category:BBC Radio 5 Live presenters

Category:BBC television presenters

Category:British broadcasters

Category:British columnists

Category:British feminist writers