Channel 4 News presenter CATHY NEWMAN opens up about that Jordan Peterson interview, her plans for...

Cathy Newman has not arrived yet. She sent a message informing me of her delay. I am currently situated in Lantana, a bustling eatery located in close proximity to London Bridge. This establishment is known for its lively atmosphere, making it a popular spot for young PR professionals to conduct interviews. However, experienced interviewers with sophisticated recording equipment tend to dislike such surroundings.

Upon Newman's arrival, she appears calm and mildly sorry.

"Oh my goodness, I am constantly running behind schedule," she stated.

"I was a little late today, but it's normal for me to be tardy by ten minutes. I'm always behind schedule for that exact amount of time, it's become a habit of mine. Wondering what could be achieved in those ten extra minutes is what I often think about. However, it's only a mere illusion since if I arrived on time, those ten extra minutes would be wasted at the end. It's quite absurd, don't you think?"

It's quite interesting to note that even ten minutes stolen from someone else's time can be utilized effectively in one's life. Cathy Newman, the popular Channel 4 News presenter, known for her tough interviews and exposing stories about difficult situations, especially those involving men with predatory behavior, leads a hectic life.

Prior to sitting, I politely request her assistance in identifying her clothing since us men are typically clueless when it comes to women's apparel and some of us struggle with hues. She politely agrees to help.

Here's a rephrased version of the paragraph in simpler English: She's wearing a short, bright blue coat from Paul Smith that's sometimes called a "boyfriend" coat. Her outfit is described as "cosmic" and she's wearing a scarf from Peru that's really eye-catching. She's also proud of her maroon boots with high heels, which she got for £20 at Zara.

Why does she step into those towering stilettos? Don't they cause discomfort and, frankly, contradict feminist ideals? She explains to me that there are two reasons.

Many men are quite tall. If you happen to be conducting an interview with a man of considerable height and you, on the other hand, are shorter [she has a height of 5ft 4in], you are automatically in an unfavourable position. This is partly due to professional reasons, but it also has to do with aesthetics as it just appears graceful.

The apparent purpose of our gathering is to celebrate the release of her latest book, which happens to be her third. This book is called The Ladder: Life Lessons from Women Who Climbed High and Overcame Challenges. It is based on interviews conducted on Newman's Times Radio program, The Ladder, with extraordinary women like Angela Rayner, Joan Bakewell, and Nicola Sturgeon. Her previous literary works, namely Bloody Brilliant Women and It Takes Two, were positively received by critics.

I initially came across Newman during the mid-1990s.

After departing from the BBC, both of us were employed at The Independent, which was facing financial difficulties, in Canary Wharf, London. She had recently graduated from Oxford University with a first-class degree in English, and was incredibly intelligent, displaying a heightened level of alertness. It was a challenging period for us both as our boss was very difficult to work with.

Newman was assigned the task of compiling a list of the top ten items for the news analysis section. She remembers how challenging it was back then because Google wasn't available. She would spend the whole day trying to locate just the top three, let alone the entire top ten. If she couldn't find what she was looking for, her boss would get mad and blame her, which was not easy to deal with.

She didn't give up. In 1999, when Newman was 23 years old, she was recruited by The Financial Times to serve as a political reporter, and eventually became the chief political correspondent. (In this industry, every aspiring journalist strives for a Westminster assignment, and Newman's career advancement indicates that her superiors believed she had the skills to succeed.)

She slowly worked her way into the world of television by making appearances as a commentator on news analysis shows. She also filled in for Alastair Stewart on his Sunday morning program on ITV. During one occasion, Stewart invited her to dine at The Ivy and imparted some wisdom, saying: "Don't forget, you are now part of an exclusive group of only 12 individuals - the television presenters of Britain."

I possess a strong drive and an intense desire to compete. I strive for perfection in everything I do.

Newman became a member of Channel 4 in 2006 as a political correspondent, which made her the first recent addition to the political team on air after 11 years. She often battled with "imposter syndrome," an emotion of not truly deserving to be in her position. She states that this sentiment affects women more than men.

It can be really exhausting, but at the same time, it motivates you to keep going. You might say to yourself, "Okay, I need to work extra hard and produce more stories to make up for it."

"I have a strong motivation to succeed," she explains. "However, I believe that part of my motivation stems from my fear of being exposed as not being as skilled as others perceive me to be."

Keep in mind that the word "anyway" was used. Was she always motivated? "Absolutely. Since I was young, I've always strived for perfection. I had to excel in every area and achieve top grades. It had to be a flawless performance - all As."

Did her parents influence her behavior? 'No, my parents didn't exert any pressure at all.'

I woke up at 5.30 AM to complete my academic tasks, so that I could devote my evening hours to practicing the violin. However, it wasn't my parents who prompted me to do this. On the contrary, they pleaded with me not to do so. It's just how I am wired.

Does she like to compete? 'I love to compete.' Does she compete with others? 'Absolutely. As a reporter, you need to exceed the competition consistently, or you won't be compensated. Consequently, you observe what your competition is doing all the time.'

Having a competitor can motivate and inspire one to do better, and Channel 4 News has been in competition with BBC Two's Newsnight for quite some time. However, the latter is now faced with reduction in both its duration and financial resources, which is something that Newman finds unfortunate.

In this day and age of false information, she believes that public-service broadcasting is becoming increasingly important. However, the issue is that the finances are running low. She highlights that Channel 4 News has a deal with the channel up until 2025, but that deadline isn't too far off.

I spoke to a journalist who has been in the industry for a long time and they were very impressed by Newman's work. They said that she was one of the first to hold powerful people accountable and cited her report on sexual harassment allegations against Lord Rennard, a high-ranking member of the Liberal Democrats, in February 2013.

She mentioned to me that her inquiry took years to become a reality because the women who endured the harassment were concerned about their future prospects in politics. It was courageous of them to come forward and say, "I am going to speak up about this."

She becomes lively and energetic. 'I am filled with a sense of achievement for that work, as it was done before the emergence of the #MeToo movement. It was even before media outlets acknowledged it as a problem. I believe that we were successful in identifying an issue that was later addressed by others.'

Newman didn't only address the mistreatment of women. She also delved into claims of physical attacks against males under the age of 18 by John Smyth, a well-known Anglican preacher, and friend of the Archbishop of Canterbury in 2017.

The inquiry lasted for half a year and required Newman to confront Smyth, who organized Christian camps for pupils. Smyth has since passed away, but the church has yet to disclose the results of their own investigation into the matter.

The men who were mistreated are still suffering from the aftermath after all these years. I felt fury inside of me and had a strong desire to find justice for them. It's tragic that Smyth passed away before they could receive the justice they deserved, and it's something that continues to torment them.

In 2016, Cathy, along with her spouse John and two offspring Scarlett and Molly formed a family unit.

Newman has been very active in bringing to light allegations of sexual misconduct against Mohamed Al Fayed, the previous owner of Harrods, who passed away recently and had consistently repudiated such allegations. Newman has made it a habit to grill politicians, as demonstrated by her questioning of Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov in 2022 about his possible involvement in the harm of Ukrainian children. His response to her was that she was simply being too emotional.

She has spoken up to Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Theresa May, Rishi Sunak, Kwasi Kwarteng, and Keir Starmer. Newman was the one who got the well-known Partygate quote from a Tory MP about Johnson being unexpectedly surprised with a cake.

She is definitely dedicated, but does she experience any anxiety while being on camera? "If I were told that I have to interview Vladimir Putin tomorrow, I would be nervous because it requires a lot of effort to do so. Also, there's a chance that he might poison your drink with polonium. Nevertheless, I invest a lot of effort into preparing for my interviews and I become less nervous the more I prepare." Additionally, she mentioned, "I conduct all my research by myself."

Finally, we discuss the topic that everyone has been avoiding. Back in 2018, she had a conversation with Jordan Peterson, a Canadian scholar who was getting a lot of attention from young guys. He had recently written 12 Rules for Life which turned into a major hit.

Since then, the incident has obtained 47 million views. During that period, a writer from The Guardian commented: "The more Newman incorrectly summarized Peterson's thoughts regarding women and equality, which clearly made her more irritated, the better Peterson appeared."

The male advocates of their culture were displaying their force, and Newman, who had a remarkable history of revealing cases of harassment, became their magnificent prey. They shared her personal information online (a deplorable act called 'doxing'), used offensive words and even sent death threats.

What are her current emotions regarding the situation after six years have passed?

She states, "It's alright. It feels like any other interview I've had. Actually, I had three interviews that very day." She expresses concern that discussing it could add to the harassment she's already experienced. I think this is a valid concern. However, I'm skeptical that she truly doesn't care.

Newman is extremely cautious about providing further explanation, not necessarily to safeguard herself but to safeguard her program. Peterson, who was a new name to Newman, was just added to her schedule the day before. She had a single evening to peruse his publication.

They had a meeting where Peterson, who is not a Lacanian psychologist, talked to someone who focused solely on one topic she knew about, which was equal pay. Although the conversation was not the greatest, it's important to remember that it's impossible to always be successful in every interview.

At the moment, I'm enjoying studying the Greek language for my own entertainment. As I immerse myself in the language, I can't help but daydream about sipping on a refreshing glass of retsina alongside the mesmerizing sea view.

I suggested to her that she could have declined the interview, but she informed me that she never turns down opportunities. This made me ponder if a male host would have a similar attitude.

Interestingly, it was discovered not long after the Peterson interview that ITN, who produces Channel 4 News, had a significant gender pay difference of 18.2 percent. Newman acknowledged that this only serves to highlight the widespread issue of inequality. Her colleague, Jon Snow, felt compelled to reduce his salary by a quarter as a gesture of solidarity.

During the current year, while elections are taking place, who else does she plan to interview besides Putin? "Donald Trump," she says to me. "I wish I had the opportunity to interview the Queen who has already passed away. Simply put, all she had to do was speak and you'd have a story. Do you understand what I mean?"

Newman's partner, John, mostly abandoned his profession in journalism to care for their two girls, Molly and Scarlett, who are now 15 and 19 years old. Newman believes that he has done an excellent job.

She doesn't cook and even though she had the "talks" with her daughters, it was John who bought the sanitary pads! It is true that she missed out because of her hard work but having everything was never true.

How about enjoyment? "I am acquiring the Greek language," she claims. "That is my source of entertainment."

The family visits Pelion peninsula, located on the eastern coast of Greece, which is often referred to as a hidden gem by travel guides. They make this trip three times annually. She exhibits a photo to me which captures the scenic view of dolphins in the Pagasetic Gulf, as observed from a balcony. She expresses her yearning for the sea, relishing the taste of freshly caught fish, and sipping on retsina, a wine that they exclusively prefer and adore while others do not.

She dreams of residing in the mentioned place when she retires or loses her job. She acknowledges that all broadcasting careers eventually come to an end. She has a desire, which is very likely to turn into reality, of writing books similar to The Suspicions of Mr Whicher. These books will narrate history and biography through a captivating story. However, she plans to pursue these dreams later in life.

She emphasizes this to me multiple times throughout our dinner, our walk to the subway, and in a subsequent text. "I'm 49 and I'm optimistic about still being on television at 59. Why not? Many of the men are."

She lists some male presenters who are contentedly settled in their jobs even after crossing 60 while mentioning some female presenters who were made to retire earlier than expected.

She has no plans to be a part of their group, and there is no valid justification for her to do so.

What motivates or drives you?

Never experiencing boredom.

Who is the individual you would most enjoy interviewing?

Who is the individual that you would hate to take an interview from?

In addition, there is Vladimir Putin who is known for providing lengthy historical explanations when asked a question.

If you were given the opportunity to be a global leader for a day, how would you utilize that power?

Make sure that every bomb being dropped globally releases harmless duds and instead drops chocolate.

What brings about a feeling of excitement within you?

Incredible rumors or simply an interesting story.

How do you unwind and de-stress?

I frequently indulge in watching television shows like Below Deck Mediterranean while munching on some chocolate.

Do you have something that you secretly enjoy or feel embarrassed about?

Singing a Whitney Houston tune at the highest pitch possible during karaoke - then shutting my eyes and picturing myself performing live at the O2 arena.

What's the most amusing thing that has occurred while you were live on the air?

While conducting an interview with the Dalai Lama, he shifted his attention towards my camera and made an observation about its size. "It appears to be bulky and heavy," he said. "Maybe it's time to consider a lighter and more compact option."

Cathy Newman's book, "The Ladder," can be purchased from William Collins for £18.99. However, if you buy a copy before 7 April, you can get it for just £16.14 by visiting mailshop.co.uk/books or calling 020 3176 2937. If your order exceeds £25, you will receive free delivery within the UK.

Assistant for wardrobe and fashion: Hope Palmer.

Cosmetics: Ruth Warrior from Ray Brown utilized Grown Alchemist and Eyeko.

The hairstyling was done by Ben Cooke from One Represents with the use of hair products created by Sam McKnight.