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Big Weekend looks like it’s taking place in Coventry next year, coinciding with the city of culture & commonwealth games down the road in Birmingham.

Just seen on social media that Adele Roberts has been diagnosed with bowel cancer. Best wishes to her and hope she recovers quickly…

With the greatest of respect the best description of her live lounge slot would be extremely safe pair of hands, she hasn't torn it up or done anything ground breaking with it. Annie truly is in the once in a generation category and it will be some years before someone else comes along and does the same thing.

Clara isn't even in the same league as Annie and her spell hosting the charts was hardly long enough to be ground breaking. She has a long long long way to go before being compatible to some of that list.

I have a weird feeling his first ever song when he covered was Reverend & The Makers, Heavyweight Champion Of The World. I remember he discussed it a few years ago when he was on drive time.

But Greg James’ breakfast show is a stark contrast to that of the previous Nick Grimshaw breakfast. It’s based upon the people, the listeners.. it’s listener centred which is a far cry from the celebrity centred breakfast show that Grimmy did. Arielle’s early breakfast is again different with Radio 1 dance, different features and feeling generally more energetic than Adele’s. Weekend breakfast with Adele, to be honest is the only one which is disappointing, it’s been a carry over and a slight tweak of her early breakfast days. But then again with the listener numbers at that time of morning on a weekend is it really necessary, not forgetting that Friday isn’t included anymore. Scott obviously hasn’t changed for ages, but that formula works, it’s well liked, they eventually change the features around, yes, some are tired at the moment but also been very restricted by what can be done in a pandemic, the same goes for all shows actually. Radio 1 relax has thus far seemingly been well received, not forgetting that half of the content which is destined to be on there - Sian’s chillest show hasn’t begun presenting yet. The numbers will speak with the streaming as that’s one thing that can be fully tracked. But for very little money it’s a good addition. Like it’s been said many times above we’re all going to have to disagree as things are at the best they ever have been and the vision you see clearly isn’t going to happen anytime soon. The radio station is on a high with the changes that are taking place and the streaming on a whole is being well received.

Since then you’ve had Abbie McCarthy come through from local radio who clearly didn’t make the cut 100% & also trialed others from local radio in some of the Christmas slots. Ditto Jess Iszatt more recently, along with Gemma Bradley & Sian. Alongside this they have previously bought presenters across from 1xtra to do cover work & across to the station. So it’s hardly a closed door thing is it. From September in the weekdays excluding the main presenters (Greg, Scott & Grimmy) you’ve got Arielle whose only been with the station 2~years, RM&C who have only been there about 2~years, Clara whose been there 6 years, Jack whose been there 3? Years & Sian who was new to the station this year. There’s clearly space for this new talent in the form of Sian, Gemma, Jess, Jeremiah & Jaguar, who I’m sure will be given every opportunity to work their way up, it’s a good balance of new people and the talented presenters who bring people in and retain listeners ala Greg, Scott, Grimmy, Jordan & Matt. Listeners like to know who they are going to listen to when they tune in, they don’t want a revolving door as you put it of talent coming in and out as you put it, they want someone they can relate to. It fully justifies its funding as it is, with it they are giving them more funding to create focussed streams like Dance & Relax. The podcasts & the streams are the true one where they can find out how listener numbers do, if something doesn’t cut it and doesn’t deserve it’s funding it’s gone. But the youth requirements are clearly understood.. they are big players on YouTube and TikTok which are where some people go for their entertainment. But what is also recognised is that the station caters for other listeners than “youth” it caters to a wide range of people, if it was just youth how would they justify an early breakfast show when the majority of that age bracket are still asleep?

But it’s not one stop, if they see the talent there you’re given other opportunities, i.e. Friday early breakfast & presenting opportunities. They’ve also recently changed up the schedule to a degree moving out long serving DJ’s in the form of Huw Stephens, Phil Taggart etc and bought in new voices, yes most of them have prior BBC local radio experience but that is also a way the radio 1 has of scouting new talent, look at Greg James & radio Norfolk.

At the end of the day the whole radio scene is changing & more people listen to what they want to on demand. The additional content which is created is obviously commissioned to get people listening using known presenters & personalities. I’m unsure as to how you would get people to listen to podcasts from unknown presenters even with promotion. People want to be able to tune in and know who is on and when, not having people changing all the time as you put it. Look at the uproar of extending the weekend which in essence created more presenting opportunities for upcoming presenters. That didn’t go down massively well. For all the negatives you have about radio 1 (which is a lot) what are your positives???

Why would you revolutionise something which is continually winning awards & keeping listeners? Why do you see the need to always say completely revolutionise? What do you see as the issue? They are doing loads to bring on talent of all sorts, look at the Christmas cover schedules of the last two years which has offered those with some radio knowledge & experience through their own choosing, I.e. community & student radio... which everyone can get involved in a chance. They’ve given opportunities to these & subsequently have offered shifts for cover and Friday early breakfast. In regards to who gets chosen to move on from that and do more work are those with the talent & ones they see having a future at the station. Also look at the huge range of careers talks they did including the world of radio they have just done for the big weekend build up & in previous years have had the big weekend academies. That’s getting people interested & bringing the younger generations over to the world of radio as well. So do you seriously think they need to do even more?

Personally think the streams are a great idea. You can select the music type for your mood wether it be dance or chill. You don’t have to go searching through sounds to find a show and date. Let’s face it a stream whereby the content has already been broadcasted isn’t costing huge sums of money.

Honestly think we may find a playlist / show curated by Annie appearing on one of the streaming services but doubt she will go to anyone commercial.

Greg’s breakfast show has always been about the people ever since day one and not solely based on celebrities and the like. It does suffer from them not having the producers or Roisin in the studio with them due to the pandemic for them to bounce off. Greg’s show also appears to be for the many & is a stark contrast to the remit Grimmy had post Moyles in lowering the average age of listeners. I personally lost count of the amount of times Alan Carr and others used to get on Grimmy’s breakfast show & still do enjoy Greg’s breakfast to this day.

I didn’t mention him being in breakfast in five years, just still being at radio 1. To be honest you must be listening to a different breakfast show to most of us, yes it’s lacking a feature or two, but what isn’t because of the pandemic, don’t forget they are limited about having guests come in and being able to do other stuff. But Greg is largely back to his best now he is back to five days, which is surely another vote of confidence in him as breakfast presenter as well. Areas of the schedule that haven’t been touched in years, mid morning & afternoons will be looked at before they do anything with the breakfast show. Salary wise, he isn’t the highest paid by any means at the BBC and is on less than what Grimmy was. Look at the way he detests Heart, Can anyone else see him leaving the BBC to join a commercial rival, because I certainly can’t.

To be honest, we can probably say that the most likely of the group to be moved on from radio 1 will be Grimmy & unfortunately Scott, who knows what will happen to him! I'd say the strongest likelihood of still being at Radio 1 in five years is Greg. He is truly back to his best now he is on 5 days a week, but will he ride it out to be on breakfast in five years time? No, but will he still be at radio 1? More than likely yes. Greg consistently pulls audiences & is well liked across the industry.