I've heard more than one Brit describe him as a national treasure.

I've wanted his job so badly that I've thought about starting a podcast to get it. He interviews four academics every week, on every conceivable subject. The people he talks to are incredibly well informed, and he does a masterful job of keeping the conversation on track. He's always sincerely interested, no matter how abstruse the material.

British working-class hero, though he'd probably prefer I say English.

I'm still working through the back catalogue, been at it for years, I've listened to every episode from the start until about mid 2012. I'll finish it eventually!