The Australian-born broadcaster Brian Hayes, who has died aged 87, was a pioneer of phone-in programmes in Britain. Soon after the launch of his mid-morning show on LBC in 1976, he was labelled “the rudest man on radio”, with a reputation for being abrupt with listeners and challenging their views trenchantly. However, he insisted: “I’m not rude, but I might be assertive or even aggressive. I think I might be a bit arrogant – but that’s not a character defect.”
His abrasive manner, which included cutting off callers he thought were failing to back up their arguments, was part of the “game of verbal chess” he said he played with them. He was the ultimate devil’s advocate, in contrast to presenters such as James Whale who tried to emulate the American “shock jocks”, provoking listeners with their own opinions.
