What makes a good radio presenter

Even as he explained his Desert Island Discs to Kirsty Young on Sunday, Terry Wogan reminded us how well he understands radio. "You have to create this little club," he told her. "We're not talking to an audience. You're talking to one person and they're only half-listening. It's a mistake to think that everybody's clinging to your every word." It's fine advice and it also draws a firm, defining line between broadcasting on the wireless and the television, where the reverse is true. Wogan's comments are also a useful guide in working out why some radio presenters gel with listeners more than others: a tricky and subjective question. I once mooted in print that I'd never met anyone who didn't like Eddie Mair's style on radio; I soon heard from lots of people who find it irksome. Listening to some stand-ins and special shows over the festive period, though, the inclusive, intimate quality of some presenters shone through, while it was lacking in others. Ryan Tubridy has it; Patrick Kielty doesn't. French and Saunders exude it; Craig Charles and, surprisingly, Chris Tarrant don't. It's obviously not that Tarrant and the others aren't seasoned presenters, but they never quite get the warmth right, especially in interaction with listeners. Chris Evans doesn't make you feel as if he's speaking just to you, but he's unrivalled at creating the feeling of a "club" and that draws his vast audience. Paddy O'Connell on Broadcasting House does the club vibe very well too, but also seems to reach out to listeners effortlessly and with huge charm. I did the paper review on the show this week, with fellow radio critics Miranda Sawyer and Gillian Reynolds. The question I was asked most afterwards? Whether O'Connell is as lovely as he sounds. As Wogan found with his record-breaking audiences, it's the knack of creating a real sense of connection and listener identification in radio that glues audiences to certain shows and presenters. theguardian .