Kaye Adams chats about 'dreadful' Margaret Thatcher interview

In the Be Honest podcast, the BBC Radio Scotland host also chatted about her preference between TV and radio and her relationship with fellow Loose Woman Carol McGriffin.

Kaye told host Bruce Devlin about how she came to interview the Prime Minister in a bid to make her mark in her journalism career. 

She said: "I thought, I've got to impress the boss, how can I impress the boss? I'll get an interview with the Prime Minister who of course, at that time was Margaret Thatcher.

"So I wrote off this letter, which must be incredibly childish. I was absolutely astonished, about a month later, I got a letter back from Sir Bernard Ingham, who was her press secretary at time, saying that I had been granted an audience with Margaret Thatcher at one o'clock at Downing Street on such and such a date.

"I mean, oh my god, I just could not believe it. Because I just wanted to write the letter to look as if you know, when you're young, you're in a job, you want to kind of look as if you've got initiative." 

Margaret Thatcher

She added: "I was in a taxi. I remember going around Trafalgar Square, and I don't know whether I did open the taxi door to be sick, or I felt that it was gonna, but I mean, oh, my God. I've never been so nervous.

"And of course, in those days, you could actually drive up Downing Street and knock on the door. And so that's what we did. And she [Margaret Thatcher] answered the door."

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Kaye then talked about her first encounter with the Iron Lady, saying: "She fluffed down my shoulders and sort of sorted my collar to make sure I look smart, because my Mum would want me to look smart." 

She said that she later thought that Thatcher doing this was an attempt to be patronising.

She said: "I didn't think that at the time, because I was just so agog.

"But I've reflected on it afterwards. And I think that's 100% what she was doing. And it was 100% effective, because I was just like, uhuh, uhuh, yes, thank you. I was, if I had balls, she would have taken them off."

Kaye added that Mrs Thatcher's hair was "immaculate" at their meeting.

Describing her thoughts about the Prime Minister at the time, Kaye said: "She was very maternal. But she was in that setting with me.

"She was very maternal. You know, she showed me around Downing Street, she showed me the view of Horse Guards Parade at the back. And she was kind to me, and in some of our small talk, I thought, oh god, this is funny. This is a kind woman.

"But obviously, her politics seem to so many people and you know, arguably, was incredibly harsh. And I kind of thought of her as one of those 'nanny knows best' people. You know, 'I know what's good for you.' And she genuinely believed in her head that she knew what was good for people." 

Asked about the final interview, Kaye said: "It was a dreadful interview. I was just too young, too inexperienced. She completely dominated it."

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Be Honest co-host Jojo Sutherland then asked Kaye if she had a preference over TV or Radio, and she said: "Well, I mean, television is easier. I mean, I mean, that's just straight up, you get looked after you get pampered, you get your makeup done, somebody brings you a cup of tea, you know.

"So if you're looking for a bit of indulgence, television is your preferred option. Radio is bloody hard work. I mean, it really is hard work. You have to do your homework.

"There's nobody there, you can't pam anything off on anybody else. If everything is going tits up, there's nobody gonna save you but yourself. And no point and you know, you're not gonna have somebody whisper in your ear.

"Or say well go to this or somebody else covers up for you. You are absolutely isolated on your own. But it's very, very satisfying, you know. So satisfying and hard work. Television is a skoosh and fun. To have the mix of two is probably the ideal, isn't it?"

Kaye also discussed her role in the popular daytime TV show Loose Women, saying that she enjoys being the anchor and being able to shut down a heated discussion, much to the annoyance of her co-panellist Carol McGriffin.

She said: "[Being anchor] does allow you to deflect and I must say much to the annoyance of some of my fellow panellists.

"I mean, Carol McGiffin, I see the look in her eye you know when I sort of shut down a discussion and like go to the break and she is murderous in her intent.

"We'll go to the break, and I'll say "we'll see you after this." and she'll be like "you always get the last word!" and she bloody hates it. I say I'm just doing my job!" 

The podcast can be found on all good podcast players, including Apple, Spotify and Goodpods. Find all the links at http://pod.link/behonestpod or on Twitter @BeHonest_Pod.