The Interview: the BBC’s new Rottweiler, Emma Barnett, on why politicians fear her

Of all the reasons ever cited for writing a book, this must surely rank among the most original. Emma Barnett’s inspiration as an author struck when she became the first person in British broadcasting history to announce, on live television, that she was menstruating. Her co-presenters “looked like they wanted to puke”, she grins, still amused by their discomfort. The Newsnight and Radio 5 Live presenter — and agony aunt for this magazine — is one of those unlucky souls for whom periods have always been hellish. For most of her adult life, she spent several days a month hugging a hot-water bottle, assuming she had to just grimace and bear it. Doctors told her it was normal and put her on the pill to