Don't tell the politicians what John Humphrys is secretly wearing... craze for the 'slanket' sweeps Radio 4





It's a far cry from the evening wear BBC radio presenters used to wear on air.

So quite what the legendary first director general of the broadcaster would make of the current craze sweeping Radio 4 at the moment, is open to question.

Some of the radio station's biggest names, including John Humphrys, are queuing up to model a garment that looks as silly as it sounds: The Slanket.

Relaxed: Today show presenter John Humphrys looks surprisingly comfortable in the Slanket

Make yourself at home: Humphys puts his feet up in the Radio 4 studio

Serious stars: Radio 4's Clare Balding and comedian Rory Bremner have some fun in the blanket-like gown



The lurid blanket with sleeves was bought for continuity announcers at Broadcasting House after they wrote on Twitter about their chilly studio.

They then decided to give as many BBC luminaries as possible a chance to try it on, with the results photographed and posted on a website.

So far 40,000 have visited the site to see broadcasters including Today presenter Humphrys, Jenni Murray and Jonathan Dimbleby in the garment.

Other Radio 4 names seen wearing the ‘Slanket of Con’ – a reference to the fact it belongs to the continuity announcers – include Nicholas Parsons, Sue MacGregor, Clare Balding, Andrew Marr, Rory Bremner, Barry Cryer and even John Prescott when he visited the studios.

Channelling their inner thespians: Martha Kearney, left, and Andrew Marr, right

Striking a pose: Michael Buerk, left, and Dame Jenni Murray, right



Costume drama: The leopard-print Slanket brings out actor Hugh Bonneville's wild side

In total there are now 113 pictures on the website devoted to the phenomenon which has gripped workers at the radio station.

Today presenter Jim Naughtie is seen adopting an aeroplane pose, while Any Questions host Dimbleby looks like he is adopting the foetal position, while Justin Webb casually reads a paper in the ridiculous outfit.



'What I have noticed is the minute the leopard print monstrosity is upon the wearer, their thespian tendencies are unleashed'

Comedians Sandi Toksvig and Sarah Millican are seen squashing into the same Slanket.

Earlier this year Miss Corfield and Miss Clugston explained how the fashion for the blanket came about.

Speaking to the Radio 4 and 4 Extra Blog, Miss Corfield said: ‘We can lay the blame for the Slanket of Con firmly on Twitter!

'A few of us who spend hours in the Radio 4 continuity studio and like to tweet started to make comments about how cold it was in the studio. Which it is.

‘We have to sit under an air vent that seems to blast nothing but an Artic gale. Various replies on Twitter suggested we needed a garment called a ‘Slanket’ to keep us warm.

Multiple occupancy: Corrie Corfield, Clare Balding and Alice Arnold, left, Sandi Toksvig and Sarah Millican, right



Chillin: Today programme presenter Evan Davis

Curled up with a book: Radio 4's Charlotte Green and author Ian Rankin try reading in the Slanket



‘Can’t remember what possessed me to drape The Slanket over the shoulders of the lovely and extremely well-known Michael Buerk but he was our first victim.’

Miss Clugson added: ‘The slanket is technically mine. Having read our nonsense on Twitter, my friend Mark [Simpson] gave it to me for Christmas when I went home to Belfast.



‘He agreed that the leopard skin marvel could be donated to Continuity for the use of us chilly announcers.

'As soon as Corrie set eyes on it, she whipped out her camera and starting snapping us in ridiculous poses. It made us laugh so much we thought people on Twitter would love it too. And so it began.

‘After that the initial idea of just snapping the announcers grew into photographing as many of the famous voices on Radio 4 as possible.

Out of this world: Lord Prescott, left, gets in the spirit. Right, even Daleks can benefit from the slanket



Cuddly commentators: Comedian Andy Hamilton and TV presenter Emma Freud dress up in the garment



Artistic expression: Actor Tom Hollander looks rueful as he models the quirky garment

‘The reaction on Twitter has been amazing and now we get suggestions of who should be Slanketted next.

'What I have noticed though is the minute the leopard print monstrosity is upon the wearer their thespian tendencies are unleashed.

'The Slanket of Con lives in a drawer in 40B Broadcasting House marked 'BUNS' - don’t ask, but recently it’s been on an away day to Television Centre where the news programmes originate.'

Wrapping up: Nicholas Parsons, left and Sue MacGregor, right, have also been photographed wearing the Slanket in the chilly Radio 4 studio

Miss Clugson added: ‘Various colleagues have taken pictures, but Corrie is our main photographer while I 'run' the website.



'She has a great eye for a pose and amazing powers of persuasion, especially useful in the beginning when no-one had a clue what it was all about.

‘When John Prescott came in to read the Shipping Forecast for Comic Relief, Alice Arnold and I were on duty and weren’t sure if we had the nerve to ask.