GeekTalk51

Absolutely loving this so far - Scott somehow sounds completely at ease and effortless when he must have been so nervous. Feels like he’s been waiting for this his entire career.

Show seems completely listenable to me, not a car crash. Do think there’s a solid chance it’s Going Home with Vick and Katie within 12 months.

Lauren is a great presenter, good asset for Radio 1, as we’ve seen Life Hacks can be a springboard to cover / bigger slots.

It was always going to be a rough ride taking over from one of the most long running and successful daytime shows in Radio 1 history, but the fact they’re being taken off air after less than two years feels significant to me. Vicky going to weekends is obviously a demotion from weekday daytimes, and while there is definitely a way back for Dean from early breakfast it’s absolutely a backward career move. Did they always plan this to be short term? I can’t imagine they did. Others on here have said the figures held up decently and from what I’ve seen they did, maybe qualitative research such as focus groups was really poor for them? Why do folks think Aled pulled the plug this early?

Wonder if next week Going Home will be Sam and Danni again?

I think it’s probably the fact Greg clearly wants to keep going and within 2-3 years if he stepped down then, in a Scott Mills way Jordan could well be looked over and they go with a newer presenter. It was now or never and it looks like it was going to be never.

Sam and Danni/Dean seem to be the future of Radio 1. Jack as well I’d say, if you’re thinking people that will still be a part of the lineup 5+ years from now.

I wonder if this was always on the cards and is why Jordan has jumped - 2-3 more years of Greg and he’d be in Scott Mills territory of being passed over for Breakfast in favour of a younger DJ.

Smart from Radio 1 - you don’t want to lose Greg anytime soon now there’s no clear successor. Anyone know how long a contract renewal would be for? Another year?

Can you imagine after all that 😂.

Where did they say this?

Considering how Jordan North for several years seemed like the obvious next choice for Breakfast if and when Greg departs, I thought it would be worth thinking about where we are with succession planning now, what everyone’s theories are. Greg will have been on Breakfast for 6 years this year, it would be unusual if he didn’t leave in the next year or so - I suspect management will want him to stay longer than originally intended now Jordan is gone but you never know. Who does everyone reckon is the frontrunner to take over now Jordan is out of the running? Taking a quick look at the contenders as I see them: Safe pair of hands options: Rickie, Melvin and Charlie: They’ve done it before, if Greg were to leave this year for example at least you’d know it wouldn’t be a car crash and they’d probably be willing to do it. Downside is it would probably be a 2 year deal at must and they aren’t getting any younger, aren’t the future of the station etc. Also a jarring change in style from Greg. Matt and Mollie: I would have said no chance two weeks ago, but I think they are at least second or third most likely for the gig now. It’s the same argument as for RMC (if Greg leaves this year they are a good safe option), they fit the style and tone Greg has set so won’t bleed audience majorly, Matt is one of the few remaining DJs of the Jordan/Greg/Scott calibre at this stage (some of the others will reach that point with time and experience I’m sure), Mollie’s personality works on morning radio. Issue is I don’t know if they’d be willing to commit to it (maybe they’d do it on a 6 month-year contract) and it probably would lean older in terms of appeal than they might want for a fresh Breakfast show. The gambles: Sam and Danni: On paper, they could well be the future of the station. They are young, fit the image radio people to their core, but fundamentally they are just not at that level right now, and it would be a hell of a gamble. I had them down as the most likely breakfast show AFTER Jordan does it for a few years, maybe lack of options means you have to skip a generation and take the gamble. Dean McCullough: I know people on here, don’t like this, I don’t like this! But I think at this stage, he may well be the front runner for the show. The only reason I dismissed this previously was because Jordan was there, Jordan’s departure removes the single biggest roadblock to the inevitable conclusion of his meteoric rise on the station. it may not be so bad, people will complain and it will be more polarising, but on his own covering breakfast, he sounds solid. A couple of years and he truly is a personality capable of carrying the Radio 1 Breakfast show. There are worse options! Management seems to like him, and that’s a reason in my book, not to dismiss this likelihood. The Goldilocks choices: Katie Thistleton: The more I think about it, the more, I think she’s the ideal candidate. That doesn’t mean she’d do it, but I don’t think she definitely wouldn’t. a female presenter would be a breath of fresh air, she’s genuinely good at connecting with audiences in the way. Greg and Scott and Jordan can, she would need more content than she currently does on her show and probably a co-presenter, but should be more than capable of anchoring the slot and it could be really successful. Jack Saunders: Hear me out. He’s young, but he’s been on the radio for years. He always sounds in control no matter what show he is on. Great interviewer, strong personality, not too polarising. He would probably switch people off in the way Grimshaw did, but thats never stopped breakfast presenters being picked. it could be something exciting and fresh and genuinely compete with Capital if it was done properly. on the other hand, it could be an absolute disaster, really depends how it was structured. those are my thoughts, over to you.

Yeah I feel like by September drive could be a different lineup entirely to now.

Sam and Danni makes sense - taking Vick/the normal team off air to prepare for what is effectively a new drive show in two weeks time. Vick on her own on air Monday would be a very difficult position to put her in I think, considering not addressing the news would feel so odd and addressing it is probably not what management want.

Jordan and Greg have always seemed to get along I don’t think there’s anything to read into there - if anything Greg is probably gutted Jordan won’t be his successor.