The hubris of Today presenters.

Fleurpepper
Unlike you who is fixated on the wrong type of tourist and regional accents I listen to what the person has to say.
Give it a try.

Callistemon21

I wonder if DaisyAnne is wondering what has happened to the thread she started which was nothing to do with accents but about the way Amol Rajan conducted the interview with Sir Keir Starmer?

The thread has not just gone off piste, it's gone down a crevasse. ⛷

And no prizes for guessing correctly who brought up the type of accent.

AJ Odudu has a very strong accent.

Oh, sorry, she's not Asian.

I’ve never liked the Today programme, the interviewers are always more interested in hearing their own voices than listening to the interviewee’s answers. John Humphrys was dreadful.

MerylStreep

Fleurpepper
Unlike you who is fixated on the wrong type of tourist and regional accents I listen to what the person has to say.
Give it a try.

Of course, and so do I.

In the meantime, give me one example of a UK TV presenter with a strong Asian accent. Quite simple, really.

Just been listening to Rita and Clive, not a hint of a foreign accent. Been discussing this with OH right now, neither he nor I can think of any UK presenter with a strong foreign accent, asian or african, etc. They just would not have got the job if they had, quite simply.

Fleurpepper
Don’t count on me to salve you prejudices. You can ask Uncle Tom Cobbly and all but you won’t change my/our minds.

NO prejudice from me. We are talking here about delivery, from presenters. One is technique and style, one is accent- that all from immigrant background had to work very hard at acquiring- yes, it is called 'received' pronunciation, and not for nothing. There is absolutely NOTHING prejudiced in my comment, but the reality.

Give me ONE, and hopefully THREE, examples, please.
No-one with a strong Asian (or even a hint) accent would get a presenter job, and there are none. This is NOT prejudice at all from me, an immigrant, married to an immigrant.

Fleurpepper

Just been listening to Rita and Clive, not a hint of a foreign accent. Been discussing this with OH right now, neither he nor I can think of any UK presenter with a strong foreign accent, asian or african, etc. They just would not have got the job if they had, quite simply.

But isn’t that because most people in television speak with regional accents, the fact that their parents are originally of Asian descent doesn’t mean that they would speak with an Asian accent, when they have been in the UK all their lives? You speak with the accent of the place you were brought up, not with the accent of your parents,

Of course- but most spoke their own language at home, and had to make a conscius effort, at school, to acquire RP in order to succeed.

I have become accustomed to most of the newsreaders and presenters over the years but Amol Rajan does grate. I think it's his manner as well as the fast pace gabbling
He comes across as patronising, even bored as if he is trying hard not to be in awe of anyone. .if so he's succeeding

Maybe he shouldn't be doing that job so early in the morning.

Fleurpepper

Of course- but most spoke their own language at home, and had to make a conscius effort, at school, to acquire RP in order to succeed.

Not because they were Asian though Fleurpepper, all children adapt to the local dialect. I went to school with a girl from Newcastle, and can remember being amazed when I went to her house for tea and she spoke to her parents with a completely different accent to her school accent. It happens to everybody. My Australian nephews with British
parents speak with Aussie accents - it’s the same the world over.

Fleurpepper

Of course- but most spoke their own language at home, and had to make a conscius effort, at school, to acquire RP in order to succeed.

RP (received pronunciation) disappeared years ago from TV and Radio.

The continuity announcer on one of the channels is broad West Indian for starters.

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Fleurpepper
By assuming that Clive Myrie and Reeta Chakrabati had to learn to speak perceived English you are showing your prejudice.
Why do you assume that their parents spoke with an Asian accent.

Neal Nuness might be the person you mean. He's on R4. I remember there were complaints about his west indian (?) accent initially but I thought it was rather nice.

silverlining48

Neal Nuness might be the person you mean. He's on R4. I remember there were complaints about his west indian (?) accent initially but I thought it was rather nice.

Thank you, yes he has a very soothing voice, but I am prejudiced as I adore the West Indies and have always found the West Indians to be beautiful people inside and out.

Fleurpepper

Who?

3 asian presenters tonight on BBC News, not a trace of accent, and only the soft modern version of RP. (not sure what Clive's origins are). So yes, they have to lose parents' accent to acquire local one and then acquire soft modern rp to succeed. Admirable.

I taught 1000s of Asian and West Indian, and more, students in the schools I taught at. They were mostly amazing at manipulating languages, often several at home with extended family, + or or more on top for films, videos, etc. Then 2 types of English, local and RP, and excellent at the foreign languages we taught them too. Just remarquable. Natural talent, but also hard work and dertermination- as they knew it was the key to success.

I assume you haven’t been to a solicitor’s, GP’s or Hospital in the U.K. recently, accents have not hindered their careers.

Fleurpepper sorry your posts aren’t particularly nice on this subject.

What on earth are you on about??? Please.

We are her talking about Presenters on UK TV. Give me one example!

Not nice? I am an immigrant, married to an immigrant, and most of my friends and family are immigrants.

Anybody see him on House of Games? Going back to the original thread, not the sharpest knife in the drawer!

neil nunes has gravitas, which one wants in an announcer, and so many now lack. he's excellent.
agree, can't stand AR.
used to like the media programme on radio 4 with dear departed steve hewlett. he made it interesting.
can't stand it now with AR.
patronising. smarty-pants. inflated ego and it shows.
dreading univ challenge.

Fleurpepper

Of course- but most spoke their own language at home, and had to make a conscius effort, at school, to acquire RP in order to succeed.

I don't think that applies to just Asian, African or people from other countries. It applied until recently to British people as well. We all have to moderate our accents when we visit another part of the country.
Someone I went to school with Read the news for Look North from Leeds she certainly did not speak the way she did when at school. DH went to school with a chap who was a newsreader for Boarder T.V. he had certainly changed his accent from the local one.

Fleurpepper

What on earth are you on about??? Please.

We are her talking about Presenters on UK TV. Give me one example!

Not nice? I am an immigrant, married to an immigrant, and most of my friends and family are immigrants.

Are you an Asian immigrant?

Do your DC have a similar accent to you or do they speak like their peers? Or RP?
I'm interested because my DC is an immigrant too, married to someone born of an immigrant father whose accent is still very strong. However, SIL has an accent local to his area.

We are her talking about Presenters on UK TV

The thread is about one particular presenter and his style of interviewing, trying to sound superior and patronising Sir Keir Starmer QC, barrister, former Director of Public Prosecutions and Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition.

It's not about accents, Asian presenters feeling the need to lose whatever accent they had.

It's about one presenter's style and went on from there to his gabbled, fast way of speaking and, inexplicably, on to yet another attack on the UK.

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