Latest news about BBC Radio 1

Presenter Alice Levine leaves BBC Radio 1

Alice Levine has announced she is leaving BBC Radio 1 after nine years at the station. Her last programme will be on Sunday 9th August after which Dev and Jordan North will share the Friday to Sunday 11am to 3pm slot. Alice has thanked people she has worked with at the station via an Instagram post, saying the time is right to hang up her headphones and say goodbye to Radio 1. She has also hinted at joining a new station saying listeners will be able to contact her on a new number soon, rather than the BBC Radio 1 text number 81199...

BBC launches search for best new spoken word artists in lockdown

BBC Radio 1Xtra and BBC Asian Network have launched Words First alongside BBC Arts and Contains Strong Language Festival, aiming to discover the best emerging spoken word artists from across the UK. Working together with poetry organisations across the country, the Words First scheme is looking for people who are passionate about spoken word in any form. From rappers and MCs to poets and lyricists, anyone with an interest in developing their spoken word skills can apply from 29 May until 19 June 2020. In previous years, shortlisted artists would attend regional workshops in person...

Annie Mac: ‘I'm happy in chaos and noise’

Annie Mac is not your average DJ. Through her Radio 1 show and hit podcast, she has championed new music and is not afraid to tackle grittier subjects such as misogyny in rap and knife crime. Laura Snapes finds out what drives her and the secret of her self-confidence. Annie Mac is busy doing her homework when I reach her by video one morning in early May. She’s due to give her weekly “rave lesson” on fellow BBC Radio 1 presenter Nick Grimshaw’s teatime show (today’s subject: the week-long Castlemorton party of 1992). I had wondered if these lessons were a sneaky way of teaching teenagers how to kickstart parties in the wreckage of...

What does the BBC’s Annual Plan say about Radio?

OPINION: The BBC is required to publish its annual plan each year. Just as with every broadcaster, however – and every industry – this year’s is atypical. Even when the COVID crisis abates, life will never be the same again. My notes here focus largely on radio, but it is worth citing the general headlines from the report, which bear out Ofcom’s latest research published yesterday: “As social distancing began in the UK in the third week of March, pan-BBC reach among adults peaked at 94%. That is: 94% of the British public used the BBC that week. 86% of young adults aged 16-34 used the BBC that week, up from 77% the week before”...

Maya Jama leaves BBC Radio 1 after two years

Weekend morning show presenter Maya Jama has left BBC Radio 1 after deciding not to renew her contract. She joined the station in 2018 and has most recently been hosting 10am-1pm on Friday and Saturdays. During the coronavirus schedules the weekend mornings slot has been on a 3-week changing cylce between Maya, Jordan North and Dev & Alice. Radio 1 says Jordan, Dev and Alice will continue to do the show in rotation. It means Maya’s final show on the station was Sunday 3rd May. The BBC says ‘exciting commitments later in the year’ mean she’s not able to dedicate the time needed to her show...

RAJAR Q1 2020: London and national brands roundup

BBC Radio 2 has lost almost a million listeners in the last year, according to the Q1/2020 audience research from RAJAR. The reach of the UK’s biggest radio station fell from 15.356m at the start of 2019 to 14.362m over the first three months of this year. The two biggest commercial radio networks – Heart and Capital – both lost significant reach over the 12 months too. The Heart network lost 787,000 listeners to leave a reach of 7.737m, while Capital dropped 815,000 to 6.386m. When you add in the other Heart and Capital branded stations – 70s, 80s, 90s, Dance, Xtra and Xtra Reloaded – the Heart brand reaches 9.365m and the Capital brand 7.502m...

Radio presenter special version of PopMaster planned

BBC Radio 2 has announced a special radio presenter version of PopMaster, which will air on the station on Bank Holiday Monday at the end of this month. Instead of just being in its usual 10.30am slot, the feature will run through the day on 25th May, with separate rounds taking place from 7.35am to 5.30pm. Presenters taking part in the quiz will include Zoe Ball, Greg James, Dotun Adebayo and Magic’s Ronan Keating – as well as other as-yet-announced BBC and commercial radio hosts. Ken Bruce will be quizmaster for hourly heats through the day, starting on the breakfast show with Dermot O’Leary, running through...

Winners announced for Young Audio Awards 2020

All the winners from this year’s Young Audio Awards have been announced during an online awards ceremony hosted from home by Award Ambassadors Matt Edmondson and Mollie King from BBC Radio 1. They were joined by special guests including Annie Mac presenting Best in Music to 15-year-old Oli Hackett, whose show, Musicals My Way, is syndicated from his home in Corby and airs across 43 different radio stations around the world, including in the USA and Spain. Other presenters included TV and BBC Radio 2 presenter Rylan, BBC Radio 5 Live’s Laura Whitmore, singer and Hits Radio Breakfast presenter Fleur East, KISS FM’s Tyler West and Swarzy, and BBC Radio 1’s Greg James...

Eurovision 2020 on the BBC

There may be no actual contest happening this year, but the BBC is promising plenty of Eurovision content across TV, radio and online in celebration of the biggest music competition in the world. From a night of special programmes celebrating this year’s contest on BBC One, to revisiting classic moments on BBC Two and a host of specially themed programmes and treats from the archives to enjoy on BBC Radio 2, there will be a host of Eurovision content for fans to look forward to this May. Familiar Eurovision faces including Graham Norton, Ken Bruce, Rylan Clark-Neal and many more will help bring Eurovision joy into homes across the country, uniting and entertaining viewers with plenty of Eurovision programmes and specials in store...

Greg James sends message to teenage hospital radio host

Greg James has recorded a special video message for a 15 year old hospital radio presenter who’s broadcasting shows to patients from a gazebo in her garden. The Radio 1 breakfast show presenter has also invited Amy Cardno from Forth Valley Royal Hospital’s Radio Royal in central Scotland to sit in on his show once the lockdown has finished. Amy – better known to her listeners as ‘Wee Amy’ – featured in an STV News report, with Greg sending the programme a video message to Amy to be included. Greg told her: “I wanted to send you a message because I heard all about your extraordinary work on your hospital radio station"...