Greg put the rest of the DJ’ing world to shame by landing Radio One’s graveyard shift when hey, mr he was just 21

The afternoon radio host dishes the dirt on deejaydating a popstar, dressing to impress and the rocky (or not so) road to Radio One

Interview & words RICHARD LENTON

gave radio DJ’ing a shot once. It much time talking to themselves in didn’t take. Sitting in a dark, dank small rooms. No, radio DJs are a very I studio, staring blankly at an array unique breed… of screens, multi-coloured buttons and But one man who’s avoided any of a weathered microphone that appeared these potential pitfalls and established to be suffering from a strange form himself as a thoroughbred in this of alopecia, I quickly found myself business is Radio One’s Greg James. questioning my choice of career move. Four years ago, the lofty 6ft 4in self- Two hours of unbearable solitude (and confessed radio geek was at university a succession of tunes that rubber- in [insert Alan Partridge stamped the 1980s as the decade that gag here] before being plucked from taste forgot) later, I decided that life as the obscurity of the student airwaves a radio DJ could only lead to one thing to present Radio One’s pre-breakfast for me: being force-fed mind-numbing graveyard shift. His conversational, drugs in an asylum filled with other self-deprecating style immediately once-happy folk who’ve spent too appealed to an increasingly loyal

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“I was a fan of Ellie before we follower. When most teenagers QUICK- started dating. My advice would were drinking cider and copping FIRE be never meet your idol - just off with girls on FIVE sleep with them instead!” park benches, Greg was quietly FAVOURITE learning his craft INTERVIEWEE? on hospital radio 5Ricky Gervais. I’ve assessment. However, when Greg goes Below: Greg steps while studying the best practitioners interviewed him on to talk about clothes shopping with out with gorgeous in the business. In 2005, he was voted four times and he’s girlfriend of 12 months, exactly as I imagined his famous other half, the infamous Best Male DJ at the Student Radio him to be. Inbetweeners double-dating episode Awards; an accolade which brought springs to mind – the one which saw him to the attention of Radio One’s WORST Simon being dressed by his girlfriend programme controller, Ben Cooper. INTERVIEWEE? Tara in an outfit that made him look “I always wanted to be a DJ,” he Aaron Johnson. like a cross between a 19th-century adds. “Chris Evans is the ultimate pro He’s a nice guy, public schoolboy and a gay stripper. for me. I used to listen to him and but he wouldn’t play along. I “I think every bloke who watched think, ‘Wow, what a great job. He does mentioned that that episode thought ‘I’ve been there’,” that for a living.’ From that moment I Fearne (Cotton) he adds. “But Ellie’s not like that – she thought ‘Yes, that’s what I want’. fancied him, and bought me a couple of T-shirts this “I also really liked Chris Tarrant instead of having a laugh about it he was band of dawn-rising truckers and week actually, since T-shirts and jeans and Richard Bacon, I’ve always been a saying ‘What do you commuters, and within 18 months are the standard attire of the DJ.” fan of Chris Moyles, and I listened to mean, what are you he was promoted to the weekday in the afternoons when I saying? Why are you afternoon show. STYLE PROFILE was driving around delivering pizzas bringing that up?’ It’s a joke, chill out! It was once said that fashion is like a [during his student years]. When I ALL WORK, SOME PLAY shadow: fly from it and it follows you; did the early morning show I handed HOT ACTS TO And not only has Greg been fast- follow it and it flies from you. This over to Chris and now I’m on in the FOLLOW? tracked from student radio to a certainly applies to Greg. He doesn’t afternoons I hand over to Scott. It’s Jessie J is great. She primetime slot on the nation’s leading worship at the altar of the latest trends, mental. There’s not a day that goes by could be the British station with obscene haste, but the but his look is bang-on on the money: when I don’t think about that.” Rihanna. Noah and 25-year old is also 12 months into a Adidas boots, fitted Diesel jeans But it must have been a seriously the Whale – their new album is going relationship with gorgeous, über- and a Firetrap lumberjack shirt scary leap into the unknown when to be huge. There’s talented singer-songwriter, Ellie worn open to reveal what he was suddenly thrust from a drama also a singer/ Goulding. Maybe I should’ve stuck to can only be a Goulding- degree and student radio to the songwriter called radio after all… inspired 70’s punk T-shirt. nation’s number one station? Benjamin Francis from Yorkshire who’s “I was actually a fan of Ellie So far, so good in the “When I first started doing early written some really before we started dating,” he tells me cool stakes, but then breakfast the thing I was most scared great tracks, and as he winds down after a Thursday the conversation drifts of was finishing my show because I another guy called afternoon shift at Radio One HQ to his specialist subject, knew that Chris would listen to the James Vincent McMorrow. on London’s Great Portland Street. music… last 10 minutes. But he was really “My advice would be never meet your “I’m not one of these kind to me and now I feel like part FAVOURITE idol… just sleep with them instead!” weirdy-beardy-type of the family. I used to worry a lot, ALBUM? For a passing second I wonder if music nerds, I like loads but now I really enjoy it.” The first album he’s ready to divulge the innermost of different stuff. But the And what are the chances of that I can really secrets of his nocturnal activities with first record I ever bought one day replacing Moyles in the blue remember loving the delightful Miss Goulding, but then was by Mr Blobby. I was ribbon Breakfast Show slot? was Parachutes by Coldplay, and I remember that this is the clean-cut a huge fan of Noel’s House “I think everyone should want I still love it. I also Greg James; the epitome of chivalry Party… that’s not very to get the Breakfast Show on Radio remember being and gentlemanliness. cool is it?” One, it’s the biggest show there is. fascinated by Kanye “It’s coming up to a year,” he adds, I’m naturally very ambitious, but West; I think because it exuding obvious affection for his other DISC JOCKEY DREAMS I’m getting better at lying back was quite cool half. “We’re quite soppy, but it’s nice – But this is Greg James in and thinking ‘There’s no rush, I’m “I used to worry a lot, to like him at we’re both losers basically.” a nutshell: he likes what doing okay’.” Even for someone as but now I really enjoy school when There’s not a rational person in the he likes. And refreshingly, unassuming as Greg James, that’s it” – Greg kicks back his first album after a hard day at came out. land who would agree with his self- he’s anything but a lame a pretty big understatement. Images: BBC/Ray Burmiston, xxxxxx Radio One HQ

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