Jenni Murray was an English author, broadcaster, and anti-transgender activist. Murray was best known for presenting BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour from 1987 to 2020.
Background
Jennifer Susan “Jenni” Forgham-Bailey was born on May 12, 1950 in Barnsley, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, Murray earned a degree from the University of Hull. While there, Jenni met and married Brian Murray and took Murray’s surname. They divorced a few years later.
Jenni Murray joined BBC Radio Bristol in 1973. By 1976, Murray had moved into television, working as a presenter and reporter for regional BBC programs. In 1980, Murray became a presenter on the BBC’s Newsnight. Throughout the 1980s, Murray also worked on various current affairs and documentary programs.
Murray became the regular presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour in 1987 until retiring from the program in 2020. Murray interviewed prominent figures and covered social, cultural, and political issues affecting women and society more broadly.
Murray published several books between 2001 and 2019, including memoirs and works on women’s history. In 2011, Murray was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for services to broadcasting.
Murray died on March 12, 2026.
Anti-transgender activism
Woman’s Hour had a number of anti-trans guests, including Rosie Duffield, Sharron Davies, Helen Lewis, Sarah Ditum, Ann Furedi, Caroline Criado Perez, Maya Forstater, Julie Bindel, Kemi Badenoch, Kathleen Stock, Helen Joyce, Jo Phoenix, Joan Smith, Hannah Barnes, and Hadley Freeman.
In March 2017, Murray wrote an anti-trans column for the Sunday Times Magazine titled “Be trans, be proud – but don’t call yourself a ‘real woman.’”
Murray was supportive of anti-trans group Sex Matters and presented at the 2021 FiLiA conference.
Murray was a signatory on a 2022 Sunday Times open letter
References
Feric, Carla (March 20, 2026). Broadcaster Dame Jenni Murray remembered as ‘much loved mum and wife’ by family. The Independent https://www.the-independent.com/news/uk/home-news/jenni-murray-harriet-harman-tim-davie-labour-judi-dench-b2942948.html
Wakefield, Lily (November 13, 2020). Dame Jenni Murray dismisses backlash to her claim that ‘trans women are not real women’ as a ‘bit of a kerfuffle.’ PinkNews https://www.thepinknews.com/2020/11/13/dame-jenni-murray-transphobia-loose-women-backlash-sunday-times-womans-hour/
Staff report (November 8, 2018). Jenni Murray pulls out of Oxford talk amid trans row. BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-46139085 8 November 2018. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
Staff report (December 4, 2018). Jenni Murray: University of Hull to review theatre name change amid trans row. BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-humber-46442389
Braidwood, Ella (November 8, 2018). Jenni Murray cancels Oxford talk after ‘transphobic’ remarks. PinkNews https://www.thepinknews.com/2018/11/08/jenni-murray-oxford-university-transphobic-womans-hour-bbc/
Muir, Rebecca (April 14, 2017). Why I joined the trans protest against Woman’s Hour’s Jenni Murray. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/apr/14/why-i-joined-the-trans-protest-against-womans-hours-jenni-murray
Duffy, Nick (March 6, 2017). BBC issues ‘impartiality warning’ to Woman’s Hour host over transgender row. PinkNews https://www.thepinknews.com/2017/03/06/bbc-issues-impartiality-warning-to-womans-hour-host-over-transgender-row/
Staff report (March 6, 2017). Jenni Murray sparks outrage with trans women column. The Week https://theweek.com/82233/jenni-murray-sparks-outrage-with-trans-women-column
Whitehead, Johanna (March 6, 2017). “I’m not a TERF, but…” The F Word https://thefword.org.uk/2017/03/im-not-a-terf-but/
McCormick, Joseph (March 5, 2017). BBC Woman’s Hour host Dame Jenni Murray says trans women aren’t ‘real women.’ PinkNews https://www.thepinknews.com/2017/03/05/bbc-womans-hour-host-dame-jenni-murray-says-trans-women-arent-real-women/
Washington, Natalie (March 5, 2017). Trans women are allowed to be wrong, and still be women. nGender https://ngendr.org.uk/2017/03/05/trans-women-are-allowed-to-be-wrong-and-still-be-women/ [archive]
Sharman, Jon (March 5, 2017). Hormones and surgery do not make trans women ‘real women’, Dame Jenni Murray says. The Independent https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/jenni-murray-transgender-real-women-sunday-times-magazine-womans-hour-a7612781.html
Kennedy, Maev (March 5, 2017). Jenni Murray: trans women shouldn’t call themselves ‘real women.’ The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/mar/05/jenni-murray-transgender-not-real-women-sunday-times-magazine
Anti-trans coverage
White, Robert (September 11, 2025). Jenni Murray: Police did nothing when trans activists sent me death threats. The Telegraph https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/09/11/jenni-murray-police-did-nothing-trans-activist-death-threat/
Staff report (October 15, 2020). Jenni Murray blasts BBC for silencing her on trans issue. The Christian Institute https://www.christian.org.uk/news/jenni-murray-blasts-bbc-for-silencing-her-on-trans-issue/
Bannerman, Lucy (November 8, 2018). Woman’s Hour host Jenni Murray pulls out of Oxford talk after being accused of transphobia. The Times https://www.thetimes.com/uk/education/article/woman-s-hour-host-accused-of-transphobia-pulls-out-of-oxford-talk-k58pmbcgb
“Glosswitch” (March 16, 2017). The debate over Jenni Murray suggests we don’t see older women as “real women.“ New Statesman https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2017/03/debate-over-jenni-murray-suggests-we-dont-see-older-women-real-women
Murphy, Meghan (March 7, 2017). Jenni Murray’s statements about womanhood are not bias, they are the truth. Feminist Current https://www.feministcurrent.com/2017/03/07/jenni-murrays-statements-womanhood-not-bias-truth/
Selected writing by Murray
Murray, Jenni and signatories (September 1, 2023). Prime Minister, will you stand up to violence against women? Sex Matters https://sex-matters.org/posts/updates/prime-minister-will-you-stand-up-to-violence-against-women/
Murray, Jenni and signatories (April 10, 2022). Press pause on Conversion Therapy Bill. The Sunday Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/press-pause-on-conversion-therapy-bill-g7vbtvc7h
Murray, Jenni (October 2, 2020). How I was cancelled by the BBC I adore: As DAME JENNI MURRAY steps aside from Woman’s Hour after 33 years she reveals her off-air battles for daring to challenge the trans lobby, Auntie’s views and her fury at huge pay gap. Daily Mail https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-8799931/DAME-JENNI-MURRAY-cancelled-BBC-adore.html
Murray, Jenni (March 2017). Be trans, be proud – but don’t call yourself a ‘real woman.’ Sunday Times Magazine https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/jenni-murray-be-trans-be-proud-but-dont-call-yourself-a-real-woman-6d8qg6mff
Media
High Profiles with Christina Rees and Jenni Murray (July 2, 2014). Being Herself: Jenni Murray. https://highprofiles.info/interview/jenni-murray/
Resources
Jenni Murray (jennimurray.co.uk) [parked, no content]
Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
Daily Mail (dailymail.co.uk)
- Jenni Murray
- dailymail.co.uk/profile-2026/jenni-murray.html
X/Twitter (x.com)