Show Diary - 12 January 2026: Scott Mills returns with Robbie Williams

[lochnessa]

For discussion of the launch of the new afternoon show.

Oh thank goodness, they said they've retired the Heyyyyyyyyyy at the start of going home

[Darren m]

And vick just said Jamie’s not got a contract yet so don’t know how that works

[Jono]

Doesn't feel like it launched with too much fanfare, guessing they're aiming for business as usual

[Darren m]

1 hour ago, Darren m said:

And vick just said Jamie’s not got a contract yet so don’t know how that works

Now can you do a show without a contract in don’t know how these things work

[BBCAaron]

1 hour ago, Darren m said:

Now can you do a show without a contract in don’t know how these things work

Does feel odd not having a contract as of yet and was announced as a permanent presenter. Is Jamie Laing on trial and they making it possible if he doesn’t work out he wouldn’t be on the contracted pay roll.

[AndyK77]

1 hour ago, Darren m said:

Now can you do a show without a contract in don’t know how these things work

It's possible to start a new role then sort the contract later. I have done that before. Plus he has an existing relationship with the station.

[Darren m]

That was my thought to maybe see how everyone warms to him first

[BBCAaron]

I mean for being booked on as a cover presenter or presenting for as someone that is filling a specific time slot before a permanent decision is made like Danny Beard and Martha.

[AndyK77]

First half hour wasn't exactly a riveting listen - Jamie playing messages from celebrity friends wishing him luck..

[BBCAaron]

1 hour ago, AndyK77 said:

First half hour wasn't exactly a riveting listen - Jamie playing messages from celebrity friends wishing him luck..

which I think making it about himself and what the listeners have criticised his position as a co-host of the new drive show that could give that impression of him being out of touch and cringingly name dropping plus the fact he didn’t know the start time and the size of audience even if it. Was said in jest doesn’t help him on the show.

[AndyK77]

1 hour ago, BBCAaron said:

which I think making it about himself and what the listeners have criticised his position as a co-host of the new drive show that could give that impression of him being out of touch and cringingly name dropping plus the fact he didn’t know the start time and the size of audience even if it. Was said in jest doesn’t help him on the show.

"I only have famous friends" - if he is trying to prove "he isn't just a posh idiot" this is probably not a wise start.

[Ash101]

First thoughts: playing into Jamie too much, as above, the famous friends bit wasn’t great. The messages should’ve been to all 3 of them

[BBCAaron]

47 minutes ago, Ash101 said:

First thoughts: playing into Jamie too much, as above, the famous friends bit wasn’t great. The messages should’ve been to all 3 of them

Yes it’s Katie’s first time with having her name above the drive time door so yes. Also with access all apps it’s sounds like he never heard of the feature. Think if like joined the station which many people who want to get into the radio industry and make it national its a station that they wish to aspire to.

[onlyME]

Jamie says he isn't just a 'posh idiot' but that's literally the persona he plays to on this programme.

Amazed by how little he knows about Going Home, he seems surprised by the dinner feature.

[BBCAaron]

4 minutes ago, onlyME said:

Jamie says he isn't just a 'posh idiot' but that's literally the persona he plays to on this programme.

Amazed by how little he knows about Going Home, he seems surprised by the dinner feature.

I think could least be aware to what he has signed up for and have a clue what is going on

[UnofficialStark]

How can he be surprised by What Are You Having For Your Tea when he did it the week he covered Jordan?

[AndyK77]

I'm sorry - it is virtually unlistenable. I had hoped for better when it was announced Katie was going to be a part of it.

It is incredibly Jamie dominated.  He just keeps talking randomly.  

I don't think it helps that it is basically the same show as before so the Jordan shaped hole is obvious.

[onlyME]

Hopefully some first show nerves...

[coffeeandgin]

Yep listened to the first hour or so and it did feel very Jamie focused and quite 'London Bubble'.

Radio 1 is often at its best when it focused on the listener and has listeners at its heart whereas much of the show was about Jamie's celeb mates and then talk about the Brits and then going through Jamie's phone in Access All Apps. I get the Brits one to an extent since Radio 1 always go big on the Brits but you have to hope it's just a first day thing and not the norm.

You'd have been forgiven for not realising it was Katie's first permanent show too.

 

[coffeeandgin]

And while you have Jamie saying he's been constantly grinding for this slot and has earnt it certainly hasn't come across on air.

Instead from his opening show alone he's admitted to initially not knowing when Going Home started and then some of its main features like 'Access All Apps' and 'What Are You Having For Your Tea' being a mystery to him. You'd have hoped he'd be eager to impress and all over it ahead of his first show on Drive.

Hopefully he is genuine in wanting to grind and quite soon we start to hear an improvement. But with that sort of thing 'Show don't tell' comes to mind. For example with Mollie King she clearly put in the time and effort and treated as a proper career and it came through on air. Whereas the less said about say Maya Jama the better.

[Ash101]

1 hour ago, AndyK77 said:

I'm sorry - it is virtually unlistenable. I had hoped for better when it was announced Katie was going to be a part of it.

It is incredibly Jamie dominated.  He just keeps talking randomly.  

I don't think it helps that it is basically the same show as before so the Jordan shaped hole is obvious.

Yeah I agree. I wasn’t expecting the Tea roll call to remain.

Could they have also changed Something Songs into something else? As like you say, it just feels like it’s a poorer product of the show with Jordan 

[BBCAaron]

11 minutes ago, coffeeandgin said:

And while you have Jamie saying he's been constantly grinding for this slot and has earnt it certainly hasn't come across on air.

Instead from his opening show alone he's admitted to initially not knowing when Going Home started and then some of its main features like 'Access All Apps' and 'What Are You Having For Your Tea' being a mystery to him. You'd have hoped he'd be eager to impress and all over it ahead of his first show on Drive.

Hopefully he is genuine in wanting to grind and quite soon we start to hear an improvement. But with that sort of thing 'Show don't tell' comes to mind. For example with Mollie King she clearly put in the time and effort and treated as a proper career and it came through on air. Whereas the less said about say Maya Jama the better.

I think Mollie King started of good with an initial five week stint as it almost seemed that hadn’t Mollie King been someone that could work well permanently it would’ve continued to have the Matt Edmonson & friends feel and pairing with different names as he did with Scarlette Moffat and Example. She quickly worked well as she had the impression she was learning on the job and wasn’t slacking or phoning it in. Where as with Jamie Laing he seems to be doing the equivalent of track suit and sliders to a business board meeting. Mollie has shown as someone who had listened to the station long before she joined and researched and always well prepared when Jamie didn’t seem to do his homework. 

[BBCAaron]

12 minutes ago, Ash101 said:

Yeah I agree. I wasn’t expecting the Tea roll call to remain.

Could they have also changed Something Songs into something else? As like you say, it just feels like it’s a poorer product of the show with Jordan 

I think where as for when Nick Grimshaw took over from Greg James and then Vick and Jordan from Grimmy they had a longer period of time between their last show on their previous slot to their new drive time show, more likely fresh production and time to do some not to broadcast pilots and brainstorm new ideas. It’s all come out fast and messy and seems like they didn’t give themselves time to produce a new drivetime show or didn’t use time wisely.

If Jamie Laing doesnt work out and doesn’t sign a contract atleast a Vick & Katie show would work without having to focus on yet again re-shuffling programming on the station, yet again.

[xxladybarefootxx]

Maybe an unpopular opinion from me on this one - I didn't mind it. I quite like Jamie, I laughed out loud every time I listened to him when he was on with Matt, and the show today was quite entertaining. I'm not overly upset that he's posh or not really clued up on the opportunity he has been given - it's a job he's getting paid for, and someone decided to hire him, so that's not really his fault. He's not stuck up and he's able to laugh at himself, so he could do well if he knuckles down and at least tries to learn from the environment he is in.

My problem is that it was a bit crowded.  I love Katie so much, and she always has such lovely and funny stories to tell, I feel she was cut short in a lot of today's show. Which leads me to my second unpopular opinion - without Jordan there, I would have just preferred it to be Katie and Jamie.  I'm not the biggest fan of Vick. I have tried, but I find her too giggly and not always forthcoming with anything other than innuendo.  Personally, I can see why they brought Katie in last minute to save the dynamic, but as a trio I think there is too much going on.

Will have to see how it develops I suppose, but Vick on air admitted how the show has always had such a mixture of presenters because of everyone taking holidays, so it does make me wonder how often the 3 of them will be together anyway.

 

[xxladybarefootxx]

Oh I suppose I want to add to what I just said about not minding Jamie and being okay with him getting the drive slot - I would feel completely differently if it had been Katie joining Vick, with Jamie as the last minute third host.  If that had happened then I would feel annoyed at an unnecesary celebrity hire had been brought in - I hated the Maya Jama - Scott -Chris Friday situation when that was going on. I do think Jamie is better than Maya was though, in many ways.