The former BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour presenter Jenni Murray has died at the age of 75.

Murray, who joined the programme in 1987 and left in 2020, established a reputation as a formidable presenter, conducting interviews with prominent female figures including Margaret Thatcher and Hillary Clinton.

In 2006, she announced on air that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Born in Barnsley, Murray began her broadcasting career at BBC Radio Bristol in 1973, going on to report and present for BBC television’s South Today programme. She joined Newsnight in 1983, before moving to Radio 4 as a presenter on the Today programme. She became the regular presenter of Woman’s Hour in 1987, and in 2011 was made a dame in recognition of her contribution to broadcasting.

Murray often shared her own life experience with fans. When, in 2006, she announced at the end of Woman’s Hour that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer, the response was overwhelming, with thousands of goodwill messages flooding into the BBC.

Returning to the programme after treatment, she told listeners that the most emotionally upsetting moment was losing her hair, and then used this to explore the centrality of hair to definitions of femininity.

The BBC director general, Tim Davie, said Murray was a “broadcasting icon”, adding: “This is incredibly sad news and our thoughts are with all of Dame Jenni’s family and friends.

“Throughout her three groundbreaking decades on Woman’s Hour, Jenni created a safe space for her audience thanks to her warmth, intelligence and courage. We shall all miss her terribly. Her legacy endures in the countless conversations she started, the many issues she championed and the lives she touched.”

Mohit Bakaya, the controller for BBC Radio 4 and director of BBC speech audio, said: “Jenni Murray was a formidable voice in British broadcasting who was warm, fearless and beloved by listeners.

“During her decades at Woman’s Hour, she helped shape the national conversation with intelligence, rigour and a remarkable ability to connect with audiences. Jenni leaves an indelible legacy on generations of listeners. We are profoundly grateful for her outstanding contribution to Radio 4, and she will be deeply missed.”