Entertainment

BBC Radio 1 announces major schedule changes

Written by Jimmy Rustling

BBC Radio 1 has announced a major overhaul of its line-up, with the weekend schedule now starting on Fridays.

Nick Grimshaw, Clara Amfo and Greg James will go down to hosting four shows a week as a result.

New Friday shows have been announced for Maya Jama and The Saturdays’ Mollie King as part of the changes, and Scott Mills will now host the chart show.

Dev and Alice Levine will present the breakfast show from Friday to Sunday.

Ben Cooper, controller of BBC Radio 1, said: “The weekend will start here at Radio 1 on a Friday morning giving our young audience that feel-good factor a day early.

“It’s our job at Radio 1 to reinvent the way young people listen to the radio, to disrupt traditional thinking and to look for new ways in which to grow audiences.”

The new schedule comes into effect in June.

It’s unclear how the schedule changes might affect the daytime hosts’ current salaries, but a BBC spokesman said all presenters on the station are paid fairly.

The changes include:

The weekday line-up will now only last Monday to Thursday
That means Nick Grimshaw, Clara Amfo and Greg James will no longer host programmes on Fridays
Dev and Alice Levine will present the breakfast show from 06:30-10:00, Friday to Sunday
Mollie King will co-host a new show with Matt Edmondson from Friday to Sunday, 13:00-16:00 – her first ever permanent show on the station
Scott Mills will take over from Greg James as the presenter of The Official Chart show on Fridays
This marks the first time in Radio 1’s history that the daytime DJs will be on a four-day week, although Chris Evans once tried to take Fridays off when he was hosting the breakfast show.

In the late 1990s, he famously asked if he could host the programme only from Monday to Thursday – a request which was denied by then-controller Matthew Bannister.

 

Jama joined the station earlier this year as the presenter of Radio 1’s Greatest Hits.

King has been appearing as a guest presenter with Edmondson in recent weeks but will now officially be a permanent fixture on the station.

The singer, who appeared on the most recent series of Strictly Come Dancing, said: “I’ve grown up listening to Radio 1 and I can’t wait to be one of the team.

“This is an absolute dream for me! The only person more excited than me is my mum – who is delighted I finally have a proper job.”

 

I’m SO excited to announce I’m officially a Radio 1 presenter! 😬 From June you’ll be able to tune in to ‘Matt and Mollie’ every week on Friday, Saturday AND Sunday! I literally can’t wait!! Dreams do come true guys, go out there and get them!! @MattEdmondson @BBCR1 💫🎧

 

She added: “I’ve had so much fun working with Matt over the past few weeks, and I’m so glad I’m no longer just ‘Mollie from the Saturdays’ but ‘Mollie from the Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays’.”

Scott Mills said: “I was sat with my mum when I got this news, and she actually cried because I’ve been pretending to do the chart show on Radio 1 since I was 8 years old.

“I’ve filled in on the show so much over the years, and I can’t believe it’s actually mine. I’m beyond excited.”

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About the author

Jimmy Rustling

Born at an early age, Jimmy Rustling has found solace and comfort knowing that his humble actions have made this multiverse a better place for every man, woman and child ever known to exist. Dr. Jimmy Rustling has won many awards for excellence in writing including fourteen Peabody awards and a handful of Pulitzer Prizes. When Jimmies are not being Rustled the kind Dr. enjoys being an amazing husband to his beautiful, soulmate; Anastasia, a Russian mail order bride of almost 2 months. Dr. Rustling also spends 12-15 hours each day teaching their adopted 8-year-old Syrian refugee daughter how to read and write.