BBC Radio 4’s Any Questions debate show to be staged in Great Hale village hall

Hale Magna Vilage Hall in Great Hale is to play host to the live radio version of Question Time, for many years chaired by veteran broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby, on Friday July 5.

Chairman of the village hall committee Andrew Key said he is a regular listener and had applied for the venue to host it some time ago and thought no more about it until he got the call from the BBC.

The debate is normally between four political figures in front of an audience.

The debate is then repeated on the Saturday on Any Answers? when people can call in with their opinions and reactions to the Any Questions? debate.

Mr Key said it is quite a coup to get chosen as hosts: “I was contacted by the production team out of the blue. Engineers have been down to do sound checks.

“The exciting thing is it will be live and immediate and everything that has happened that week in the news will be debated. People who go along as the audience can submit their questions.”

He hoped to fit up to 200 local people interested in attending into the hall.

It is uncertain who will be chairing the debate as, after 32 years, Jonathan Dimbleby has announced he is standing down at the end of June.

Jonathan Dimbleby has chaired Radio 4’s Any Questions? since 1987. He presented Radio 4’s Any Answers? between 1988 and 2012. Since 2015 he has also presented the monthly World Questions for the BBC World Service.

He has also chaired Any Answers after almost 25 years and will be replaced on that show by Anita Anand from June 9.