Radio News

Heart gives away £1million to one radio listener

Heart’s Make Me a Millionaire came to a conclusion this week after Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden gave away a million pounds. The competition has seen hundreds of winners take home prize sums of up to £30,000 and after an 11-week run on-air, the grand finale took place on Thursday. Over the past three months, each winner has faced an ultimatum – to take that day’s prize fund, which has ranged from £1,000 to £30,000 – or enter into the draw for a chance of winning £1 million. Heart listener Tommy – a key worker who works for the electricity board – won the grand prize of £1,000,000 on Thursday during an extended breakfast show, with nine runners-up leaving with £1,000 each...

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...

Robbie Vincent returns to Jazz FM for bank holiday show

Presenter Robbie Vincent is heading back to Jazz FM to host a show for the station for the first time in five years. The former Radio London, Radio 1 and Kiss DJ has been a figurehead of jazz, funk and soul music broadcasting for the last five decades. He previously hosted the Jazz FM breakfast show from 1998 to 2002 and the Sunday Morning Soul show 2008 to 2013. Robbie appeared as a guest on Jazz FM for the station’s 30th birthday celebrations earlier this year. He’ll be back with a four hour show, 10am-2pm on Friday 8th May, which will include some archive content from interviews he’s done with musicians over the years...

5 Live Sport boss Mike Carr departs BBC after 18 years

The Editor of 5 Live Sport, Mike Carr, has left the BBC after 18 years, with staff told his immediate departure was to ‘avoid any potential conflict of interest’. He has been overseeing the station’s sports output since 2011, having previously worked as an Assistant Editor and Producer in BBC Radio Sport – which he joined in 2002. Before joining the BBC he’d worked in roles at Trinity Mirror and ITN. Ben Gallop, Head of Radio & Digital at BBC Sport, told staff in an email: “Mike is leaving to pursue an opportunity outside the BBC. To avoid any potential conflict of interest we have agreed it is best for Mike to leave with immediate effect. He goes with our best wishes and our thanks for all his work over many years for BBC Sport...

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...

BBC racing correspondent bows out with 5 Live special

BBC Radio 5 Live has broadcast an hour-long special featuring Cornelius Lysaght, who’s leaving the corporation this week after almost 30 years. In the programme presented by Steve Crossman, the BBC racing correspondent picked his 10 favourite moments from horse racing over the last three decades – and was joined by BBC Radio horse racing commentator John Hunt to talk through the highlights. “Since I started in August 1990, the Cheltenham Festival and Royal Ascot have been staged 29 times each and there have been 28 Grand Nationals and 146 Classic races – and that’s just in Britain,” he wrote on the BBC Sport website...

Grand Award for BBC Radio 2’s Beatles documentary

Howlett Media Productions has won the Grand Award at the New York Festivals for a documentary about The Beatles made for BBC Radio 2. Beatles historian Kevin Howlett earned the prize for his musical documentary celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Abbey road. He wrote and produced two documentaries that went deep into the creation of the last album the Beatles recorded together. Himesh Patel, star of the movie Yesterday, presented it, and it was broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in the UK and SIRIUS XM in the States. Kevin said: “It is such an honour to have Abbey Road Phase One and Phase Two recognised in this way by an international Grand Jury of very talented radio people...

Aasmah Mir leaves Radio 4’s Saturday Live after six years

BBC Radio 4 Saturday Live presenter Aasmah Mir has hosted her final edition of the show, after announcing her departure on social media. She signed off with co-host Reverend Richard Coles this morning (Saturday) after almost six years on the show. Rev Coles told listeners she was leaving for “fresh fields and pastures new” and joked he would hang a “tribute plaque on the office wall as soon I can get to Wilko’s again”. Aasmah said: “This is my last programme, it’s been almost six years and it’s time to move onto something new. Thank you so much to the programme team, the producers, the runners, the studio managers, to Richard, to everyone associated with the show – but especially to the listeners...

Prime Minister’s sister Rachel Johnson joins LBC

The journalist and broadcaster Rachel Johnson – who also happens to be the Prime Minister’s sister – is joining LBC to present a new Friday evening programme. Her show – an hour from 6pm until 7pm – begins tonight, with LBC saying she will bring her ‘unique insight, candour and personality’ to the station for a programme ‘packed with opinions, debate and the latest news’. Rachel Johnson said: “I am genuinely honoured that LBC has found a slot for me on its hallowed schedule alongside broadcasters I have listened to in awe for many years.”...

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"...