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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Molly Pike

John Humphrys' best bits as he bows out of Radio 4's Today programme

It's the end of an era as John Humphrys stands down from presenting Radio 4's Today programme on Thursday.

The 76-year-old has hosted the iconic show for 32 years and interviewed several Prime Ministers and important political figures.

He joined in 1987 and quickly became a feared figure amongst politicians thanks to his intense interrogations.

Speaking about his departure, he said: "I love doing the programme. I have always enjoyed it. That's the problem. I should have gone years ago. Obviously I should have gone years ago."

Here we take a look at some of Humphrys' finest moments.

John Humphrys in the studio at New Broadcasting House presenting his final show on the Today programme (PA)

Margaret Thatcher in 1987

The radio host admitted he was slightly terrified to interview the divisive PM, who was one of his first after joining the show.

But he didn't hold back, asking her about the link between link between her Christian faith and her politics.

She told him: "How can you express unselfish love if you have no choice?

"The fundamental choice is the right to choose between good and evil."

John Humphreys raps on Radio 4's Today Programme

Ken Clarke clash

Cabinet minister Jonathan Aitken leapt to the defence of then Chancellor Kenneth Clarke after his appearance on Today in 1995.

Aitken accused Humphrys of interrupting Clarke 32 times, and said he was "poisoning the well of democratic debate".

The next time Clarke appeared on the show, Humphrys gave him a calculator to count how many times he was interrupted.

He hosted the show for 32 years (Getty Images Europe)

George Entwistle

George Entwistle's was the BBC's director general for just 54 days, and his brief tenure has been widely credited to Humphrys.

In 2012 asked Entwistle about a report that revealed Newnight wrongly implicated a Tory peer in allegations of sexual abuse.

Entwistle admitted that he didn't know "what actually happened" and was gone soon after.

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