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Greta Thunberg: Climate activist to guest-edit BBC Radio 4’s Today programme

Other guest editors set to take over the flagship show during the festive period include Lady Hale and Grayson Perry

Matt Drake
Saturday 23 November 2019 10:26 GMT
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Greta Thunberg politely shuts down heckler at North Carolina rally

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Greta Thunberg has been signed up to guest edit the flagship BBC Today Programme during the Christmas and New Year period.

The 16-year-old environmental activist is one of five people who will take over the BBC Radio 4 show.

Others include Supreme Court president Lady Hale, who delivered the ruling that Boris Johnson’s decision to suspend Parliament was unlawful.

Artist Grayson Perry will also present along with rapper George The Poet and Charles Moore, a critic of the BBC and Margaret Thatcher biographer.

Each programme will include an interview with the guest editor.

Nobel Peace Prize nominee Ms Thunberg, who has spearheaded a global movement and school strikes around the world, will speak to leading climate change figures and hear from indigenous, frontline activists during her guest edit spot.

She has commissioned reports from the Antarctic and Zambia and an interview with Mark Carney, the Governor of the Bank of England.

Lady Hale gives the programme a tour of the Supreme Court and has asked Today to explore the issue of coercive control – extreme psychological and emotional abuse.

Spoken word artist George The Poet will report from Uganda and explore issues around identity.

Turner Prize winner Mr Perry will examine stereotypes and Mr Moore, former editor of The Daily Telegraph, will focus on freedom of expression.

They will each guest edit the programme between December 26 and 31.

Previous guest editors have included the Duke of Sussex, Angelina Jolie, John Bercow, Sir Lenny Henry and Professor Stephen Hawking.

The Today guest editors are part of the BBC Radio and Sounds Christmas line up, which is fully unveiled on Monday.

Additional reporting by agencies

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