News imageWord of Mouth, Bias against women's voices

Word of Mouth

Bias against women's voices

10 September 2026

Available for over a year

Jane Setter talks to Michael Rosen about negative attitudes to vocal traits seen as exclusively female, from vocal fry to higher pitch. Can men really not talk in a sexy voice? And why did Margaret Thatcher change hers?

Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Sally Heaven, in partnership with the Open University