Julie Walters will bring music to our Saturday nights as she joins Classic FM to front a brand-new show, Turning Points.

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The actress, who has starred in everything from Mamma Mia to Harry Potter to Educating Rita, is the host of a six-part series exploring the biggest moments and changes in the history of classical music.

She will make her debut as a radio presenter on the station this Saturday, 17th February at 9pm.

Walters said: “I’m thrilled to be part of the Classic FM team and to present the new Turning Points series. It’s going to be fascinating to uncover the stories behind the biggest moments in classical music history, so I can’t wait to join all the listeners as we embark on this journey of discovery together.”

(C4, TL)
Julie Walters in Britain’s Coastal Railways on Channel 4

This "journey of discovery" will take listeners from the radical "superstar" Franz Liszt, to the revolutionary female composer Hildegard of Bingen, to Joseph Haydn, the so-called "Father of the Symphony".

Walters will tell the stories of "extraordinary people" and explore some musical "firsts" – including the introduction of music notation almost two millennia ago.

Why Walters? Aside from her being a big fan of classical music, it seems listeners are also big fans of her.

Sam Jackson, Classic FM’s managing editor, said: “In a recent piece of audience research, Classic FM listeners chose Julie Walters as their favourite actress. I’m therefore particularly pleased to welcome her to the Classic FM family.

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"Her warmth and wit make her the perfect host for our new series and we know that she is excited, along with our listeners, to learn more about classical music.”

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