Funny, fascinating, surprising, moving, informative... All the time. This is the official page for BBC Radio 4 and Radio 4 Extra.
04/03/2025
Remembering Bill Dare, producer and writer, who has passed away.
Julia McKenzie, Comedy Commissioner for BBC Radio 4: “I am so terribly sorry to hear this tragic news and my thoughts are with Bill’s wife, family and friends. Bill has been a huge part of Radio 4 comedy for decades, as a writer and producer, and listeners will have heard his legendary name at the end of many of their favourite shows.
“Bill was a comedy obsessive, and very instinctive about making the funniest choices when it came to writing, directing and editing. He cared so much about his work that in the production booth during Dead Ringers you’d see him crouched over the script, utterly focused on the show. Dead Ringers was on air over many momentous political events, including several general elections and Brexit, which always necessitated writing overnight, and every time he nailed the comedy but also the emotional dimension which made a lot of his satire so powerful. He was funny and very dry in person, amusingly cynical when he needed to be and always pushed to keep the comedy he made, and particularly satire, spiky. I’ve known and worked with him for 18 years and like many I can’t believe he has gone, he will leave a big hole in the comedy world and in our hearts.”
Richard Morris, Creative Director of Comedy and Entertainment at BBC Studios Audio: “Bill was a legendary figure in the comedy world and we, his friends and colleagues in radio will miss him hugely. Not only did he create and develop so many of Radio 4’s most popular comedy shows from The Now Show to Dead Ringers, but he was also a great source of creative encouragement to so many new writers and performers who he supported taking their first steps in the industry. We’ll miss the sharp wit and wisdom he brought to every production he worked on.”
All our thoughts are with Bill’s family and friends.
Bill Dare 1960-2025
