With David Dimbleby announcing that he will step down from chairing Question Time, the BBC’s political TV show is looking for a replacement. Guardian writers have listed the runners and riders and readers have been commenting with their own suggestions. Some contenders included Alan Partridge, Jeremy Kyle and Nigel Farage, with others recommending that the show should be scrapped. Here are some of your notable favourites and the reasons for choosing them.
Eddie Mair: ‘He ticks no establishment boxes’
“One of the few interviewers who has ever called Boris Johnson to account. He’s done it at least twice now. I know Mair is white and middle-aged – something identitarians and quota-maniacs won’t like at all – but he is by far the best interviewer the Beeb has. I think he would be fantastic chairing QT.” TheKevster
“His father was a lorry driver and his mother was a nurse. Mair’s professional career began after he rejected a university place in order to present on Radio Tay, a local Dundee station. This man ticks no establishment boxes and would be perfect for the job.” 3lement
Kirsty Wark: ‘An intelligent breath of fresh air’
“She’s very sharp and authoritative but combines it with delicious warmth and humour.” judyse
“She would be an intelligent breath of fresh air. She doesn’t suffer fools, nor does she humiliate – or patronise. It would be such a difference.” ethelbrose
“A good combination of gravitas, even handedness and charisma.” Grouch46
Andrew Neil: ‘How about someone useless politicians are scared of?’
“Instead of political correctness, how about someone useless politicians are scared of – Andrew ‘Brillo’ Neil?” Giroud
“He has got to be worth an outside bet. He has impeccable Tory credentials; he is male and white; he’ll be guaranteed the Daily Mail imprimatur. He’s also old. He’ll be unstinting in his bias as the corporation goes into anti-Corbyn overdrive in the run up to the next election, and if Labour wins and the bosses feel a softer approach to their new paymasters is required, he’ll be easy to retire without too much controversy. You heard it here first.” scaredstiff
Victoria Derbyshire: ‘She’s in a class of her own’
“Her radio interview with London grime artist Stormzy told me all I need to know. She can handle the really challenging stuff evenhandedly and lets the viewer/listener decide. For that reason, ahead of the rest by a long chalk.” RodneyBooze
“She is in a class of her own. She doesn’t ‘do’ political agendas either which also sets her apart from the rest. Derbyshire is the only BBC Presenter that can justify a six-figure salary. And that is from someone who loathes the BBC with a vengeance.” hawk007
Samira Ahmed: ‘She is intelligent, calm and dispassionate’
“The serious contender is Samira Ahmed. She is intelligent, calm, dispassionate and evenhanded in style; the complete opposite of the incumbent stepping down. She has demonstrated her credentials when stepping in on Sunday morning’s debate show on BBC. She is not one of the Newsnight cabal, nor white British, so that may count against her being chosen.” mikedearing
“Samira Ahmed, please. Nice to mix things up a bit, and she always seems to know her stuff.” BabylonianSheDevil03
Mishal Husain: ‘She is skilled, authoritative and impartial’
“A year or so ago, I was interpreting at a round table discussion in the UN. It was moderated by Mishal Husain. She was skilled, authoritative and impartial, and kept the discussion (which often ends up as a series of monologues) moving and lively. And she stopped the worst windbags in their tracks with such charm and efficiency that she left several of them bewildered as to quite how they’d lost the floor. Brilliant job. She gets my vote.” Genevastar
“She is the best interviewer in the media at the moment and quite likely the best chair of QT in my view.” AlanGTC
James O’Brien: ‘Clever, can think on his feet and control the crowd’
“Clever, can think on his feet, can control the ‘crowd’, will not stand for blatant lies, not a comedian, not Richard Madeley. The only real answer. Anyone else, well, no.” Red1729
“Just get James O’Brien in from LBC. Then you get proper questions and detailed answers rather than the usual staged nonsense. We might even get a panel of guests who actually represent the population of the UK.” BulldogofBrexit .
