Steve Hewlett

I was sad to hear this afternoon about the death of Steve Hewlett. I am a keen listener to the Media Show, so Steve Hewlett’s is a voice I have heard most weeks for several years.

His regular interviews with Eddie Mair about his cancer journey made for incredible radio. They are both great journalists and broadcasters. These interviews offered a uniquely candid perspective on a story that must be common, about a disease that is often talked about — but never before in this way.

As you would expect, the interviews were often sad and touching. But they were also incredibly clear and packed full of information. They were also often very funny, and most weeks there would be a few chuckles or even a belly laugh. They were all very human.

In short, this was brilliant storytelling.

You can hear all the interviews on the BBC Radio 4 website or as part of the Eddie Mair Interview podcast.

Here are three of my favourite interviews from the series.

• First, the original interview where Steve Hewlett announced his cancer.
• A few weeks later, he brought his three sons in to discuss how his family were coping with events.
• Three weeks ago, he announced that he possibly had only weeks to live.