Radio News

April Fool’s Day on Heart, BBC Radio 2, and more

April Fool’s Day pranks have been played on listeners and presenters across the UK once again this year. Including on Heart where Amanda Holden was pranked by her co-workers when she was led to believe she was responsible for a marriage proposal gone wrong live on the air. Watch the short video below to see the whole thing unfold. Also at Heart, Olly Murs pranked evening show presenter Mark Wright by having Mark’s car wrapped in an image of Olly, naked. See how that went down here...

Jane Garvey returns with Life Changing interviews

Jane Garvey returns to Radio 4 this April with her new interview series: Life Changing. In this new programme, Jane meets people who have experienced extraordinary moments that have set their lives on an entirely different course. Each of the seven episodes in this first series will offer Radio 4 listeners a personal insight into some of the darkest and most uplifting moments in human life. Jane Garvey said: “You can talk to some of the most famous people in the world but everybody knows..."

Fire at BBC Radio Stoke takes Breakfast off air

A small fire in the BBC Radio Stoke building meant a delayed start for the breakfast show on Tuesday morning. The station says the team waited outside till the fire brigade made the building safe to enter. The output from BBC Radio Shropshire was heard on Radio Stoke till 7am. In a tweet at 6am, BBC Radio Stoke wrote: We’ll be on air a little later this morning. The fire alarms have gone off at @BBCRadioStoke. Everyone is okay – we’ll be back broadcasting as soon as the fire service says it’s okay to go back in.”...

Little Mix special planned for BBC local radio

Well known bands and artists are lined up for specials on BBC local radio stations this Bank Holiday weekend, including Little Mix. Along with Sir Tom Jones and Beverley Knight, they will be helping BBC Local Radio honour people who have made a difference where they live, as part of a series of special programmes to air this Easter. The stars will say thank you to some of the local heroes whose efforts have been highlighted through BBC Local Radio’s ‘Make A Difference’ introduced by BBC weather presenter Owain Wyn Evans...

Dancemasters radio show returns with Union JACK Dance

Union JACK Dance is to broadcast a brand new series of Dancemasters featuring British DJ talent including Graeme Park, Allister Whitehead, Danny Rampling, Brandon Block, Judge Jules, Dave Pearce and more. The return marks the 20th anniversary of the show that was popular during its heyday in the early-00s. Dancemasters started life on BRMB in the West Midlands as a Friday and Saturday night show and lasted almost a decade, also broadcast on Capital...

Sponsor announced for Graham Norton on Virgin Radio

Waitrose & Partners has become the official sponsor of the ad-free Graham Norton Radio Show on Virgin Radio UK. The partnership, which was conceived and brokered by MG OMD and Virgin Radio UK, begins today with promotional trails, ahead of the first sponsored weekend show on Saturday, and will run for twelve months. Graham Norton said: “I’m thrilled to be Waitrose’s latest partner. I like to think my Virgin Radio show is now officially ‘essential’.” ....

BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend expands to four day event

BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend will return for a weekend of live music across BBC Sounds and BBC iPlayer for four days this year. It’s all happening online from 28th to 31st May with over 100 live performances across the weekend. Around 50 of the performances will be brand new live sets recorded exclusively for Big Weekend 2021, with five of the new sets filmed on location in front of iconic backdrops around the UK, with more to be recorded in the BBC’s Radio Theatre. Though dependent on changes to restrictions in the UK, the BBC says Radio 1’s Big Weekend of Live Music will be designed for fans to enjoy with friends and family in parks, on beaches, in pub gardens or simply from the comfort of their own homes...

Local BBC Radio marks 12 months of Make a Difference

BBC local radio stations across England are celebrating the first anniversary of its Make a Difference campaign on 23rd March. It’s the same date the UK was first put into lockdown, and the network says it has since taken calls from over four million people. To mark the occasion, all 39 local stations are dedicating a day of thanks to those who helped make a difference throughout the last challenging 12 months. Chris Burns, Head of Audio and Digital for BBC England said: “The power of radio is huge when it comes to connecting local communities in their hour of need. The impact of Covid-19 has been reflected by ‘Make a Difference’ across all our local stations and has highlighted acts of kindness and enabled us to share some amazing stories...

Jazz FM Sunday changes sees Robbie Vincent return

Jazz FM is to introduce a new look to Sundays that sees a new daytime slot for broadcaster Tony Minvielle and the return of Robbie Vincent to a regular show. The changes follow the announcement over the weekend by Jeff Young that he is to leave the station after 10 years. Having previously hosted late-night Sunday show “Folded Space” on the station, Tony Minvielle, previously host of Folded Space on Sunday nights, will take on 10am until 1pm with a relaxed soulful selection of UK and west coast US jazz and soul. And Robbie Vincent will make a return to weekly broadcasting on Jazz FM following a series of specials in May last year. He’ll present a two-hour Sunday afternoon show 1pm – 3pm...

Roman Kemp wants you to check in on your mates

Capital Breakfast presenter Roman Kemp has hosted a special documentary for the BBC on mental health following the death of his close friend Joe Lyons. The hour-long television programme, which was broadcast on BBC One, is a deeply personal and candid film following Roman as he explores the mental health and suicide crisis affecting young men in the UK. In August 2020, Roman’s life changed dramatically with the sudden and unexpected death of his best friend, Capital producer Joe Lyons. This timely documentary sees Roman taking a closer look at the urgent issue of young men’s mental health, exploring why increasing numbers are taking their own lives and the reasons why so many of them never ask for help...