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Derbyshire wins Nick Clarke prize for rape-claim interview

By Dominic Ponsford

Victoria Derbyshire of BBC Radio 5 Live has been named as the winner of this year’s Nick Clarke award.

The award was launched by Radio 4 controller Mark Damazer to remember BBC journalist Nick Clarke who died in 2006 and aims to recognise the best broadcast interview of the year.

Derbyshire won the prize for her interview with Peter Bacon, who was accused of raping a woman who said she was too drunk to agree to sex – and who was later cleared of the charges.

One of the judges, former Today editor Kevin Marsh, said: “Victoria’s interviewing style was direct, precise and courteous and did not avoid the awkward and at times personal questions.

“At no time did she seek to steer the listeners’ emotions or opinions about this difficult case while at the same time making crisp and well measured interventions to challenge the interviewee’s assertions.”

“The interview was well paced and structured and left one at the end remembering it for the answers Victoria had drawn from her interviewee rather than for an overbearing performance by the interviewer.”

Click here, to listen to the Peter Bacon interview.

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