Speech of the Month, March 2026 - Louis Theroux

March '26 was a little short on must-hear speeches. There was Angela Rayner's thinly disguised 'Make Me Leader' address, dressed up as concerns about poor direction and immigration reforms - but she's been an SotM subject before, so this month I've opted for Louis Theroux. His Inside the Manosphere was one of the year's leading talking points, and his idiosyncratic presenting style is both unique and genuinely appealing.

Of course, Theroux is primarily an interviewer, so several of his techniques — appearing a little confused to put the interviewee on the front foot, then hitting them with a killer question once they're off guard — don't translate neatly to, say, the monthly logistics update. That said, there are other tools in his presentation armoury that can be put to good use when the presentation task leans more towards monologue. Here they are.

He doesn't over-script, and he's happy to throw in an aside

Theroux shapes his interviews and knows what he wants to cover, but he keeps things loose. He has a roadmap, not a script. And as he speaks, he'll readily comment on what he's just said, or toss in an aside if the moment calls for it. Watch him do exactly that with Bob Vylan — see how he riffs on the phrase "Death to…", landing on "Death to the death penalty" to general laughter all round.

This is something any presenter can do. Resist the urge to script the whole thing — I know many people do, but it works against you. Instead, have a sense of where you're going and jot down what you need to cover. Work from bullets. As you're delivering, if something comes out that sounds unintentionally funny, or a joke or a pun occurs to you in the moment, say it. It keeps your content fresh and spontaneous, and audiences love that.

He's completely comfortable with silence

As Theroux absorbs what an interviewee has said, he's happy to let the camera rest on him while he considers his next question. He never feels compelled to fill the silence with noise. It's a rare skill — but a valuable one. The ability to go at your own pace, rather than rushing because you can't bear a pause.

You can bring this into presentations too, particularly ones that are structured but not fully scripted. As you move to the next section — perhaps with the help of a bullet point — don't panic. Pick up the prompt, translate it into a fresh opening sentence in your head, and only when you're ready to speak, speak.

His facial reactions are exceptional - and they invite people to say more

Theroux has a wonderful face: handsome but characterful, and he uses it the way a skilled actor would. He lets interviewees see exactly what he's thinking. Look at his reaction to Boris Becker's claim that his life wouldn't be as good as it is now if he hadn't gone to prison.

It's not a quick flicker. He holds the expression — long enough that it says, unmistakably, "Come off it, Boris." And that's what prompts Boris to reveal more.

The same applies in presentations. If you're telling a story or recounting a conversation, get your face involved. Not a quick flicker — hold the expression, so the audience is in no doubt about how you felt in that moment.