Claudia Hammond
Encyclopedia
Claudia Hammond is an author, occasional TV presenter, and frequent radio presenter with the BBC World Service
BBC World Service
The BBC World Service is the world's largest international broadcaster, broadcasting in 27 languages to many parts of the world via analogue and digital shortwave, internet streaming and podcasting, satellite, FM and MW relays...
and BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
.
Education
Hammond was educated at Sussex University in applied psychology, and Surrey University, where she gained a MSc in Health Psychology, carrying out research into doctor–patient communication in a breast cancer unit.She currently presents Health Check on BBC World Service
BBC World Service
The BBC World Service is the world's largest international broadcaster, broadcasting in 27 languages to many parts of the world via analogue and digital shortwave, internet streaming and podcasting, satellite, FM and MW relays...
Radio.
Author
Hammond is the author of a book on the science of emotions titled Emotional Rollercoaster, published in 2005. Reviews were positive, with one saying that although it contained 'rare errors' these mistakes were are 'vastly outweighed by the wealth of fascinating observations' and that 'humour, sensitivity and warmth... emanate from every page'.In July 2009, The Bookseller
The Bookseller
The Bookseller is a British magazine reporting news on the publishing industry. Neill Denny is editor-in-chief of the weekly print edition of the magazine, while Philip Jones is deputy editor, having recently been promoted from the position of managing editor of the Bookseller.com...
announced that Hammond would be writing a book on the psychology of time entitled Thinking Time: Adventures in the New Psychology of Time. The book was described as looking 'at time perception, focusing on how we can improve our relationship with time.'
Radio Presenter
This is the field of work for which Hammond is probably best known. She has said that she decided that she wanted to work in radio quite suddenly, although early. "I was at a children’s book festival and, after I had queued up to get Roald Dahl’s autograph, he asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up. I’m told I said “I want to work in radio”. That was the first my parents knew about it. It was probably the first time I realised."She presents programmes about psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
, including All in the Mind
All in the Mind (BBC radio)
All in the Mind is a half-hour magazine radio program about psychology and psychiatry, produced by the BBC's Science Unit. It is currently presented by Claudia Hammond. Former presenters have included Dr Raj Persaud, Dr Kwame McKenzie, and Dr Tanya Byron, and the first presenter Professor Anthony...
. She currently presents Health Check on BBC World Service
BBC World Service
The BBC World Service is the world's largest international broadcaster, broadcasting in 27 languages to many parts of the world via analogue and digital shortwave, internet streaming and podcasting, satellite, FM and MW relays...
Radio.
TV Presenter
In addition to presenting a Friday Health Check slot on BBC World News every Friday, Hammond has appeared on several other TV programmes (such as the One Show and BBC BreakfastBBC Breakfast
BBC Breakfast is the morning television news programme simulcast on BBC One and the BBC News channel. It is presented live from BBC Television Centre in White City, West London, and contains a mixture of news, sport, weather, business and feature items...
) commenting on psychological topics. In the past, as reporter, she presented science and medical features for Channel 5
Channel 5
-In the Americas:*Channel 5 – Rosario, Argentine television station, founded in 1964, which broadcasts from the city of Rosario*Great Belize Television, Belize television station, known as "Channel 5", founded in 1991 and broadcasting from Belize City...
News.
Journalistic Philosophy
Hammond has said that she tries to "give people a better understanding of the role psychology plays. Helping people articulate and get across a seemingly technical piece of good research is central to my approach. I also like bringing different specialists together – it’s amazing how often people who are hugely expert in one area of psychology know next to nothing about related work in a slightly different field."Despite her varied portfolio, Hammond gave 'be choosy' as a piece of careers advice advice in one interview:
"Popular programmes are fine – "I sometimes go on Richard & Judy to talk about psychological research – but if I think a show is going to dumb it down, I say no. And sometimes they’re looking for is a qualified therapist, and that’s not me."
Awards and Nominations
- 2011 – Shortlisted for the British Psychological Society's Award for Public Engagement & Media.
- 2011 - Shortlisted for MindMindThe concept of mind is understood in many different ways by many different traditions, ranging from panpsychism and animism to traditional and organized religious views, as well as secular and materialist philosophies. Most agree that minds are constituted by conscious experience and intelligent...
Journalist of the Year Award. Results announced in late November 2011 - 2010 - Best Radio Programme, The Population Institute's Global Media Awards.
- 2009 – Shortlisted for Best Factual Radio Programme in the Mental Health Media Awards
- 2009 – 'Highly commended' for the PPA Magazine Columnist of the Year Award
- 2008 - Shortlisted for the Premio Luchetta Award for International Humanitarian Journalism
- 2008 - Shortlisted for the Medical Journalism Awards
- 2007 - Shortlisted for Science Writing in a non-science context award, by Association of British Science Writers
- 2000 - Runner Up - Mental Health Media Awards
External links
- Claudia Hammond homepage
- BBC World Service presenter profile (including a video).
- Claudia Hammond on twitter
- Emotional Rollercoaster on ISBNDb
- Review of Emotional Rollercoaster in The IndependentThe IndependentThe Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...