New Desert Island Discs presenter Kirsty Young says she doesn't believe Conservative leader David Cameron has cool taste in music, and says that she'd have challenged him on certain of his choices if she'd been in the presenter's chair when he guested, instead of then-incumbent Sue Lawley.
She says: "When David Cameron chose The Killers, I thought, 'I don't think so'," adding that the choice of 'Ernie (The Fastest Milkman In The West)' by Benny Hill, by comparison, "seemed about right". Which seems a bit unfair, really. Not because I love David Cameron, but because I can completely see him liking The Killers. They are, after all, very good, and very popular.
Young also had a bit to say about how chat shows are a bit rubbish these days: "In the early 70s, Parkinson did wonderful extended interviews. People came on the show because they thought it might be nice to talk to an interesting person. Sadly, the PR machine has modulated all that. When you see Tom Cruise being interviewed, you know it's part of a string of interviews. When he did Parky [in September 2004] you could see in his eyes that he would rather be almost anywhere else in the world."
She adds that she is prepared for the difficulties of interviewing politicians, citing her own experience, and saying: "I didn't get much change out of Alan Clark, but then I don't think he fancied me. Gordon Brown is going to say whatever he planned, irrespective of the question."