The Speaker is a 2009 British television series, broadcast on BBC Two

BBC Two

BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...

. It is a talent show

Talent show

A talent show is an event where participants perform their talent or talents of acting, singing, dancing, acrobatics, drumming, martial arts, playing an instrument, and other activities to showcase a unique form of talent, sometimes for a reward, trophy or prize...

 type series that aimed to find the best young speaker in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

. The show is narrated by Jane Horrocks

Jane Horrocks

Barbara Jane Horrocks is an English voice, stage, screen and television actress, voice artist, musician, and singer. She is best known for her role as "Bubble" in the TV series Absolutely Fabulous as well as her distinctive voice....

. The three judges are stand-up comedian Jo Brand

Jo Brand

Josephine Grace "Jo" Brand is a BAFTA winning British comedian, writer, and actor.- Early life :Jo Brand was born 23 July 1957 in Wandsworth, London. Her mother was a social worker. Brand is the middle of three children, with two brothers...

, former American basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

 player and political activist John Amaechi

John Amaechi

John Uzoma Ekwugha Amaechi OBE is a retired American-born British basketball player who currently works as a psychologist, educator and political activist in Europe and the United States....

 and Jeremy Stockwell.

Regional auditions were held in London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, Glasgow

Glasgow

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...

, Cardiff

Cardiff

Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...

 and Manchester

Manchester

Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...

. 160 young people were invited to auditions after sending in videos of themselves speaking. The participants had to be aged between 14 to 18. Only 5 participants are allowed through to the next round for each region in episodes 1 & 2. Then the 20 who get through are reduced to 8 after a number of challenges in episode 3.

Airing

The first episode aired on 7 April 2009. The first episode featured the Glasgow and London auditions, while the second show included the Manchester and Cardiff auditions.

Episode list

Episode	Subject	Airdate
1	London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...  and Glasgow Glasgow Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...  auditions	7 April 2009
2	Manchester Manchester Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...  and Cardiff Cardiff Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...  auditions	8 April 2009
3	Deborah Meaden Deborah Meaden Deborah Meaden is a British business woman who ran a multi-million pound family holiday business, before completing a management buyout...  coaches the Speakers on how to speak with conviction. The tasks were giving an impromptu speech at Speakers Corner and trying to 'sell' jars full of air but labelled emotions such as 'Courage', 'Happiness' and similar.	14 April 2009
4	Earl Spencer Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer Charles Edward Maurice Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, DL , styled Viscount Althorp between 1975 and 1992, is a British peer and brother of Diana, Princess of Wales...  invites the Speakers to Althorp House where they explore the craft of information giving. The speakers gave an 8 minute tour of a room they were assigned to.	15 April 2009
5	Journalist and broadcaster Kate Silverton Kate Silverton Kate Silverton is an English journalist, currently employed by the BBC.- Early life and education :Silverton was born in Essex, England, the daughter of English parents; Terry Silverton, a black-cab driver turned registered hypnotherapist and Patricia Silverton, who now heads her daughter's...  teaches the Speakers the skills of storytelling. They then had to present a 2 minute news segment from London Zoo London Zoo London Zoo is the world's oldest scientific zoo. It was opened in London on 27 April 1828, and was originally intended to be used as a collection for scientific study. It was eventually opened to the public in 1847... .	21 April 2009
6	Tony Blair Tony Blair Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007... 's former Director of Communications and Speech Writer Alastair Campbell Alastair Campbell Alastair John Campbell is a British journalist, broadcaster, political aide and author, best known for his work as Director of Communications and Strategy for Prime Minister Tony Blair between 1997 and 2003, having first started working for Blair in 1994... , demonstrates the subtleties of persuasion. The speakers then prepared for a mock election Mock election A mock election is an election organized for educational or transformative purposes.- Mock election for educational purposes :...  on local issues.	22 April 2009
7	Semi-Final: The speakers were mentored by the three judges on the subject of inspiration. This was demonstrated by giving a speech at City Hall in London City Hall (London) City Hall is the headquarters of the Greater London Authority which comprises the Mayor of London and London Assembly. It is located in Southwark, on the south bank of the River Thames near Tower Bridge...  which was being broadcast on giant screen to various city centres around the UK.	28 April 2009
8	Final: Working with UNICEF UK UNICEF UK UNICEF UK, also known as the United Kingdom Committee for UNICEF, is one of 36 UNICEF National Committees based in industrialised countries. The National Committees raise funds for the organisation's worldwide emergency and development work. In 2007, UNICEF UK raised £41.3 million for UNICEF’s work... , the final 3 speakers were sent to Malawi Malawi The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...  to meet children in poverty there and research for their final speech; a 5 minute presentation on children's rights Children's rights Children's rights are the human rights of children with particular attention to the rights of special protection and care afforded to the young, including their right to association with both biological parents, human identity as well as the basic needs for food, universal state-paid education,... .	29 April 2009

Finalists

Name	Home Town	Age	Final Episode
Duncan Duncan Harrison Duncan Harrison is a secondary school student from Horfield, Bristol, who won the BBC's The Speaker competition, winning the title of Britain's best young speaker....	Bristol	14	Finalist (Winner)
Irene	Bristol	17	Finalist
Kay Kay	London	15	Finalist
Jordan	Sunderland	15	7 (Semi Final)
Maria	Glasgow	16	7 (Semi Final)
Haroon	London	17	6
Thomas	Leeds	16	5
Fahmida	London	16	4