Pyrah, Gill

Gill was born in Yorkshire in 1951 (date unknown). She has a degree in psychology.

Gill began her journalistic career as editorial assistant to Ken Hurren on The Spectator, also contributing fringe theatre reviews. She edited Pram and Nursery Trader before sub-editing at The Listener.

She moved into radio, making documentaries and features at BBC Pebble Mill in the late-1970s, and briefly presented PM on BBC Radio 4.

On TV, she succeeded Tom Coyne on Midlands Today, which she left to present the inaugural current affairs programme, Citizen ’81, for Central TV out of Nottingham, although industrial disputes kept it off air.

Gill reported on six early editions of Top Gear (BBC Two, 1979 – 1980) and presented the documentary Erosions of Grandeur (BBC One, 18th May 1980).

She was a panellist on Have I Got News for You? (1990) and Don’t Quote Me (1990).

Gill presented the world news from London on The Channel 4 Daily, deputising when Carol Barnes was away; she also presented The World This Week (Channel 4).

On BBC Radio 4, her credits include:

• Contributor, Woman’s Hour (1978 – 1981);
• Reporter, A La Carte (1978, BBC Birmingham);
• Presenter, Local Time (1979, BBC Birmingham);
• Reporter, Policewomen (1979, BBC Birmingham);
• The Survivor Syndrome (1979);
• Reporter, On the Town (1980, BBC Birmingham);
• Reporter, Real Evidence (1980);
• Reporter, Learning to Live ‘On the Out’ (1980, BBC Birmingham);
• Reporter, Enterprise (1981, BBC Birmingham);
• Presenter, A Change of Course (1981, BBC Birmingham);
• Presenter, The Callow Hill Class (1981, BBC Birmingham);
• Presenter, PM (1981);
• Presenter, Off the Page (1982);
• Presenter, Pick of the Week (1991);
• Chaired the literary quiz, Slightly Foxed (1991 – 1997 and BBC World Service, 1992);
• Presenter, Kaleidoscope (1991 – 1995);
• Presenter, Don’t Tell Anyone But… (1993);
• Panellist, Cross Questioned (1997);
• Guest presenter, Midweek (2005).

She was a panellist on Back to Square One (BBC Radio 2, 1992).

She presented a feature called Who Was St Nicholas? in Performance on 3 (BBC Radio 3, 1997) and Postscript (BBC Radio 3, 1998 – 1999).

Gill joined LBC and hosted a two-hour daily afternoon programme, The Pyrah Programme. She was named the Variety Club’s Independent Radio Personality of the Year.

She later presented the arts and entertainment show, The Night is Young.

Gill was guest chair on Gardeners’ Question Time (BBC Radio 4, 2004 – 2007).

She was in the news during the 2004 Chelsea Flower Show, after an incident between garden designer and television presenter Diarmuid Gavin and the contestant in the neighbouring garden, Gardeners’ Question Time panellist, Bunny Guinness.

According to press reports it was Pyrah’s questions to Gavin about the cost of his garden and whether it was connected to commitment to getting a gold medal that led to his storming off from a live interview.

Gill has written for The Daily Telegraph, The Times, Cosmopolitan and Medicine Today.

She has been a judge for the Whitbread Book of the Year and the Laurence Olivier Theatre Awards.

Since 2010, she has been a media and presentation skills trainer and chair of public events.

Correspondence

Paul R. Jackson corresponded with Gill in August 2024 about her career.

How did you get to work on Top Gear and would you have liked to have worked on more programmes?

“George Scott, editor of The Listener, introduced me to Jock Gallagher then running radio at Pebble Mill. I worked first as researcher, then reporter on Top Gear.  And no.”

Did you enjoy being guest presenter on Gardeners’ Question Time and do you have green fingers?

“Yes, loved it and was sad when it stopped because of clashes with occasional presenting of Midweek and media training jobs here and abroad. Love gardening. Have never had enough time to keep any garden I have, as I’d like it to be.”

Was it a conscious decision to move from TV to radio?

“Radio is my natural medium.”

 

Personal information

Clips of Gill on The TV Room

Gill may be featured in video/audio clips on our other websites. Click the links below to display a listing (a 404 error will appear if no clips are found):

Rewind | Clean Feed

Online presence

Acknowledgements