Sir John Tusa is launching a new podcast interview series on his 90th birthday, focusing on voices in their nineties.
The founding presenter of Newsnight begins The Best Is Yet To Come today, speaking to well-known figures about their lives, careers and the world they see today.
John said: “I wanted to talk to people in their nineties to hear about their thoughts, their lives. What an extraordinary gathering of knowledge, experience, wisdom and understanding. For me, starting a podcast in my nineties about the nineties? If not now, when?”
The first episode reverses the format, with his godson Rory Stewart interviewing him about his life and broadcasting career.
Rory, co-host of The Rest Is Politics, explores John’s early experiences during the Second World War and his later role as the founding face of Newsnight, as well as his views on modern media and politics.
Reflecting on the span of his generation’s experience, John said: “We in our nineties have lived through a world war, the Cold War, the threat of nuclear annihilation, an economic crash, the arrival of the internet, the new world of social media and now the prospect of AI. What a ride.”
The series is produced by the team behind Bold Politics with Zack Polanski and will highlight perspectives that are less frequently heard in public debate.
Guests confirmed for the run include Michael Heseltine, who reflects on changes in political life and his legacy, Antonia Fraser, now 93, discussing a lifetime of historical change, Penelope Lively on creativity and memory, and Milena Grenfell-Baines on her continued work educating young people about the Holocaust.
Episode one of The Best Is Yet To Come is available on all major platforms from today, 2 March.
