Newsreaders beat well-known 'faces' of radio in poll of most popular voices

Becoming a target for the satirical radio showDead Ringers has done little to dent the popularity of Charlotte Green and Brian Perkins.

After being regularly lampooned in the series, which won the Best Radio Comedy accolade in the British Comedy Awards last year, the Radio 4 newsreaders beat well-known broadcasters such as John Peel and Sue MacGregor in a poll for Radio Times on the most attractive voices on radio.

A running gag on Radio 4's Dead Ringers, featuring the impressionist Jon Culshaw, portrays a thuggish Perkins and a flirtatious Green. The real-life Green was polled as having the best woman's voice. MacGregor, who retires from the Today programme this year was runner-up. Green, who joined the BBC soon after graduating, said she was "thrilled" to have been such a hit with listeners. "I like the anonymity that radio gives me, and although I get a large amount of fan mail, I'm rarely recognised," she said. "I'd like to thank everybody who took the time to vote for me. I really love what I do and this is the icing on the cake. I only hope the [Radio 4] News Quiz team don't tease me too much when the new series starts."

Perkins, who was born in New Zealand where he began his broadcasting career, came third in the list of men, pipped only by the veteran Radio 2 broadcaster Terry Wogan and Radio 4's Peter Donaldson. He has made frequent appearances on radio comedy programmes. Wogan topped the list as having the best male voice.

More than 6,000 people voted in the poll which saw the oldest presenter on Radio 1, 62-year-old John Peel, beating his younger colleagues to triumph as the most attractive voice on the station. Peel is also a popular draw on Radio 4 with his Saturday morning Home Truths series. Radio 4's Eddie Mair came fifth.

On the women's list, Natalie Wheen of Classic FM came third, Sally Boazman of Radio 2 was fourth and Radio 3's Penny Gore came fifth.