Woman’s Hour Host Nuala McGovern Reveals Desire too Experience Life as a Man, reflects on 9/11 Trauma
LONDON – Nuala McGovern, the current host of BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, has shared a personal reflection on life, loss, and identity in a recent interview, revealing a desire to experience life from a male perspective. The candid conversation, published by The Guardian on October 26, 2024, also touches upon McGovern’s harrowing experience witnessing the September 11th attacks while living in New York City.
McGovern’s responses to a series of probing questions offer a glimpse into the broadcaster’s worldview, ranging from everyday frustrations to profound existential thoughts. Her statement about wanting to “try being a man for a day” sparked immediate interest, highlighting ongoing conversations surrounding gender and lived experience. The interview arrives as Woman’s Hour continues to evolve under McGovern’s leadership, navigating a changing media landscape and striving to remain relevant to a diverse audience.
The broadcaster recounted witnessing the immediate aftermath of the first plane hitting the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, and the subsequent impact of the second plane. “I was looking when the first tower exploded and then when the second plane flew in and, before we had to evacuate, I did see people jump to their death,” she stated, describing the traumatic event as her closest encounter with death.
Beyond the weight of that memory, McGovern expressed a simple desire for improved public etiquette, advocating for “compulsory headphones for phone users in public.” She also identified a sense of personal fulfillment as her greatest achievement, referencing a lyric from the Pet Shop Boys song “being Boring”: “I never dreamed that I would get to be the creature that I always meant to be”. “And I feel I am, so that’s great,” she added.
When asked about brushes with the law, McGovern playfully alluded to potentially disruptive parties she hosted.Concluding on a more philosophical note, she offered a hopeful vision of the afterlife, stating, “I think we become stars.”
readers interested in learning more can find the full interview and related content on The Guardian’s website: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/oct/25/shobna-gulati-actor-interview.
