I would agree with that.  I liked Arielle on Early Breakfast too during that period so my only weak spot was Dean. On another note - and I'm trying my best not to be unkind here - I have never seen why Vicky Hawksworth was (a) given her original slot with Dean and (b) has been given 2 shots at weekend mid-mornings which is the best weekend slot.  I just don't think there is anything that special about her. Controversial opinion, I think Radio 1 needs to go back to mostly single presenter shows.  it feels a little bit like the intimacy with the audience has been broken.  Aside from being fantastic generally, there is a reason why people feel so close to Greg - he is following the old rule of radio of talking to one person (The listener).  Even part of the reason that Scott's show worked was that he was always the presenter, it was always his name on the door (though I think it was officially Scott and Chris on 5 Live?).

And even on weekends we had Adele Roberts and Matt & Mollie. We had it so good. The only complaints really (and they were minor) was that Dean was slightly marmite on Friday and weekend mid-mornings and if that's the worst we can say about a Radio 1 line-up that's pretty good going. 

Some of this I imagine is the tabloids making mischief but if there are elements of truth in there it's very worrying for Radio 1 - particularly say if the bit about GK Barry's show not being live is true. I really am struggling to understand that Thursday 1pm for 6 weeks 'GK Barry Show' - even if there's some valid reason/project that means Matt & Mollie can't do Thursdays for the next 6 weeks we're all none the wiser so it just looks like they've been sidelined one of their most popular shows for a TikToker. Like why Thursdays and why in such a peak period? And how do they think that's going to endear her to audiences?  Also if the bit about 'Insiders say he prides himself on championing new talent' bit is accurate he really needs to reconsider. Yep Sam & Danni have progressed under his watch but any head of station worth in salt would've spotted their potential. And other than them the tale is of rolling out the red carpet for celebs to play DJ whereas in a time where routes for DJs are more limited than ever 'proper new talent' have had to wait their turn. We all could've told you Matt & Mollie and Katie were weekday ready long before they moved in 2024. And the likes of James Cusack or Emil Franchi are exactly the sort of DJs a station like Radio 1 should be championing but instead both had to do cover duty for 4 years before they got proper shows.  Sadly the whole feel of the station is you never quite know who'll turn up and it's not getting the love it deserves and that's not on the DJs at all - many of them are excellent. But while on its own it's not a big thing not even updating the Sounds schedule for cover most of the time is a pretty telling summary of where Radio 1 is currently. And Radio 1 with stuff like the Going Home revolving door and how suddenly Jordan was pushed out (with seemingly no love lost from Radio 1's side) have meant the likes of us who might otherwise leap to Radio 1's defence even aren't prepared to give Radio 1 the benefit of the doubt. 

Yes - for somebody like Dean.  Even if there was the possibility of contract renewal, what do you do, stay on Early Breakfast and get pushed out in another year, or go somewhere else with a higher profile. Jordan's exit was a bit more complicated but similar.  No chance of Breakfast in the medium term, or a huge pay rise and one of the biggest shows in radio. Radio 1 and even Radio 2 are no longer the glittering prizes.

How far things have fallen in 5 years.  Greg, RMC, Scott and Chris, Vick and Jordan - what a line-up that was. The problem is that Radio 1 seems to be trying to appeal to an audience that doesn't exist. Between Scott and Chris leaving and then Jordan leaving - I lost most interest.

I couldn’t agree more - Aled has massacred the schedules, invested in the wrong presenters and for me, personally has killed the connection between the listener and presenter. He’s out of touch and has made some shocking decisions in his tenure. 

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