Dead Honest wins Best Interview Podcast

I’m a shit-hot interviewer, right? Not so fast. Whilst this 2021 British Podcast Award might suggest otherwise, I sense it may have very little to do with me. Let me explain.

I interview professionals who help us as we die and when we’re dead. They don’t have books to flog, they are the unsung heroes working quietly in the shadows of death. These are the people who work in mortuaries, recover bodies from rivers, console bereaved families after murder and suicide.

They have rarely - if ever - spoken publicly about their work and have an understandable distrust of the media sensationalising their work. So why do they talk to me?

It is really simple. It comes down to two things; respect and trust. They know I have genuine regard for their work as I’ve also worked with bereaved families for more than 25 years.

And trust? That is the biggest one. I give my guests editorial control over their interviews. Not just the opportunity to offer feedback which I may or may not include, but genuine, 'It will not go out until you give it the green light" control. I want them to sound like they want to be heard.

When I share this strategy with others, they are usually aghast. Editorial control is seen as the sacred cow of journalism. But I am not a journalist. Others say they wouldn't have time to accommodate endless changes. In my experience changes, if any, are rare.

But they are missing the point. If you create trust and surrender control, you get a better interview. Your guests will be more candid about what they say and create the intimacy we know our audiences crave.