Simon Boas interview voted best of 2024 by Radio 4 listeners
A conversation with a Jerseyman who died of throat cancer last year has been named Interview of the Year by listeners of BBC Radio 4.Aid worker Simon Boas died in July 2024, aged 47, after gaining widespread acclaim for writing about coming to terms with his terminal diagnosis.People voted on BBC Radio 4's Feedback programme for their favourite interview of 2024, with the conversation between Mr Boas and Emma Barnet shortly before he died taking first place.He said he was "as happy as I've been in my life" and that "enjoying life to the full" had prepared him for death during the conversation on the Today programme.
Radio 4's Feedback team compiled a shortlist of 10 interviews, which were then handed to a jury made up of Feedback listeners to decide on the winner. Judges based their scores on insight, impact and interviewer skill.Andrea Catherwood, host of the episode, said the judges had felt interviewer Ms Barnet had "responded almost like a listener might, which made the interview more affecting".
'Grateful to Simon'
Ms Barnet said she "really connected" with Mr Boas' attitude to life.She said: "I'm really grateful to Simon for making the time and using that precious energy to talk to me and our programme and all of you."It wasn't an interview with someone who was dying who wanted to talk about sadness, he wanted to talk about living... he wanted to help people live now."Mr Boas' book, A Beginner's Guide to Dying, was published in September - with all proceeds going to palliative care charities.
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