Hear the first ever words spoken on Woman's Hour in 1946

On 7 October 1946, Woman's Hour was broadcast by the BBC for the very first time.

The original audio recording was lost years ago, but a copy of the first script still survives in the BBC Written Archives in Reading.

As we count down to our 80th birthday on 7 October 2026, we asked Woman's Hour presenter Nuala McGovern to bring those opening words back to life.

Listen to how it all began...

And join us on Wednesday 7 October from 10am on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds for a special 80th anniversary edition of Woman's Hour, celebrating eight decades of conversation, the women who have shaped the programme, and the listeners who have been part of the story.

What should the next 80 years of Woman's Hour sound like?