Also in the Daily Mail 'It's not the station it once was... the wheels are coming off': Inside the Radio 1 'revolt' over GK Barry's 'bizarre' new two-hour slot... as ALEX DOYLE reveals the string of hosts 'fearing the chop' to make way for 'TikTok influencers' When Radio 1 announced the sackings of experienced DJs in favour of influencers in July, they tried to spin the move as the dawn of an exciting new era. Station boss Aled Haydn Jones is desperate to connect with a younger audience and believed that bringing in content creators and social media stars would mean more listeners and more engagement. But insiders say his determination to ‘TikTok-ify’ the station has only led to chaos and paranoia, with established presenters now living in fear of losing their jobs. One source branded the changes, which saw big names like Rickie Haywood-Williams, 46, Nat O’Leary, 34, James Cusack, 36, and Swarzy, 33, all axed – branded as a ‘middle finger to the craft of radio’. If what I’m told is correct, they were informed of their fate by phone call. At the time, Haydn Jones publicly thanked the axed presenters for their service and wished them ‘every success in whatever comes next’. But well-placed sources at the broadcaster say that the atmosphere at the once hugely successful station has become so toxic that a number of staff members have quit their roles and many others dread coming into the office. Social media influencer GK Barry has been handed a two-hour BBC Radio 1 slot starting every weekday at 1pm, which will get under way later this month Station boss Aled Haydn Jones (pictured with Mollie King and Matt Edmondson, right) is said to believe bringing in content creators will mean more listeners and more engagement Rickie Haywood-Williams was axed from Radio 1 in the shake-up, which has been slammed as a ‘middle finger to the craft of radio’ ‘It’s not the station it used to be,’ says my insider. ‘The atmosphere is awful here right now and it’s just not a nice place to work. ‘A lot of people blame Aled for the shift. People are jumping ship. It’s not just presenters going, staff across the station are leaving. There is going to be a full-on revolt soon, there is just no direction right now.’ Much of the anger – and bewilderment – is focused on the hiring of social media influencers GK Barry, 27, and Charley Marlowe, 26, neither of whom has much experience in radio. GK has been handed a two-hour slot starting every weekday at 1pm, which will get under way later this month, initially for a six-week run. While the I’m A Celebrity star’s representatives argue that she does indeed have plenty of experience, I can reveal she will not be broadcasting live. Sources say the shows hosted by GK – whose real name is Grace Eleanor Keeling – will be pre-recorded and broadcast ‘as live’. My insider says: ‘It’s very bizarre that she isn’t hosting live, she is Radio 1’s big new signing and you’d think that she would want to be doing it live, as you would think the bosses would too. They continued: ‘It has left some in the production department absolutely furious. There have been multiple crisis meetings with management about this. ‘Production are ultimately the ones who have to somehow put this show together without real-time input from the listeners. It’s just deceiving them and, without the listeners, there is no Radio 1.’ Remove ads They add: ‘Nobody has anything against GK personally, but it leaves such a sour taste that people qualified for the role have lost out. It’s us in production who have to figure it out.’ GK has previously acted as a relief presenter for the station in the last year and, while she has little live radio experience, her podcast Saving Grace, which she launched in 2022, is a massive hit, attracting high-profile guests and thousands of weekly streams. Previously, the Loose Women panellist has said of the gig: ‘I am really excited to be back hosting a series of my own BBC Radio 1 shows from this September. ‘You’ll be hearing my favourite songs, we’ll be speaking with some really exciting guests and, as always, in true GK Barry style, I promise a lot of humour, chaos and embarrassing stories along the way!’ The appointment of Charley Marlowe – who narrated the BBC Three dating series I Kissed A Girl and had a stint presenting Radio 1’s early breakfast show – has proved equally controversial. I’m told there are rumours that Charley’s show is ‘nowhere near ready’, and that she has yet to master operating the decks, which control the music and microphones, among other things. Content creator Charley Marlowe – who narrated the BBC Three dating series I Kissed A Girl – has also been appointed to the BBC Radio 1 team Swarzy, who hosted the early breakfast show on Sundays, was also axed from the DJ line-up Representatives of GK Barry, who appeared on I'm A Celebrity in 2024, argue that she does indeed have plenty of experience for her new role I’m also told the show – which Marlowe will present with co-host Vicky Hawkesworth, 30 – has not yet been fine-tuned. Production staff are also disturbed by the fact that Charley will be the third co-host Vicky has had since 2022. ‘It feels like Aled has no direction, swapping out one northern female for another without explanation, it’s not a good look,’ said my insider. As part of the sweeping changes, presenting duo Danny Mylo, 36, and Rosie Madison, 40, will take over the Early Breakfast Show, the 5am to 7am show which had been hosted by fan-favourite Dean McCullough, 34. The best friends first found fame hosting various shows on Bauer media’s regional stations, including Hits Radio and Pulse 1. Meanwhile, James Cusack’s Weekend Breakfast will now be hosted by Emil Franchi, 33, from Durham, who broke into the industry through university radio. Charlie Hedges will continue fronting the popular Live Lounge but will be joined by Jeremiah Asiamah, who replaces Melvin Odoom, 46, and Rickie Haywood-Williams, who joined in 2019. Asiamah, 28, is known for his high-energy music sets and last year appeared at Glastonbury. Haydn Jones, 50, took over the role as Head of Radio 1 in 2020 from Ben Cooper. Before rising up the ranks, he worked on The Chris Moyles Show from 2004 to 2012. He was initially seen as a popular choice but his star has waned over the years. Insiders say the off-air chatter among frustrated staffers became so loud that Haydn Jones issued a memo condemning the gossips and demanding that they put a stop to their muck-raking. But it has failed to stop the rot. My source adds of the chaos at Radio 1: ‘The place has gone to absolute s***. It just feels like the wheels have fallen off. People are hoping things will improve but we don’t think it will. ‘Staff are so burnt out, they are not getting pay rises and the current structure means they can be shifted between shows without any say [in the way they are deployed]. We keep feeding back to our line managers but nothing changes.’ They added that the seasoned presenters who do remain, such as Mollie King, Matt Edmondson and Jack Saunders, are fearful they could be replaced by more influencers: ‘Everyone’s jobs are at risk’. The latest figures from audience-research company RAJAR show that Radio 1’s listenership dropped by 131,000 to 6.9million in the second quarter of this year. But one star who needn’t worry about their position is Greg James, the longstanding host of the station’s prestigious breakfast show. The 40-year-old, who joined the station almost 20 years ago, has been at the helm of the flagship slot since 2018 and bosses are so keen to keep him, they gave him a pay rise that took him into the £440,000 – £444,999 bracket. ‘They would be totally finished without James, that’s why they’ve thrown more money at him,’ said my insider. ‘If he was to go, they wouldn’t have a presenter for that slot and whoever Aled brings in next, we’ll have to pick up the pieces again.’ A spokesman for the station said: ‘Radio 1 is proud to be the number one radio station for young audiences and we're looking forward to the launch of our new schedule this month, which has an exciting line-up of both new, and established, DJs. ‘The station has a strong track record of nurturing young and emerging talent but, alongside this, Radio 1 will always be home for DJs with specialist music knowledge and from a diverse range of backgrounds.’    

I for one have often wondered at Jones decisions including the addition of Jamie Laing, GK Barry, Danny Beard and other ‘social media’ stars, the car crash that is Going Home, unnecessary overhaul of Friday schedule, evening schedule beginning at 6:00 pm and his ‘obsession’ with bloody duos to name a handful. Capital don’t have a single duo except for breakfast. I do really think that it’s about time someone fresh takes over the reins! We were really spoilt back in the day with Moyles, Cotton, James and Mills. 

Tensions at the station have reached a fever pitch and insiders claim some producers had no idea that their talent was leaving Ellie Henman Fay Leyfield Published: 21:00, 16 Jul 2026 Updated: 09:14, 17 Jul 2026 IT nurtured some of our broadcasting greats, from Terry Wogan and Tony Blackburn to Chris Moyles and Zoe Ball. But now staff at BBC Radio 1 fear the station is crumbling beyond recognition.  11 Dean McCullough’s six years at the station has come to an end Credit: Instagram 11 Melvin Odoom has also been axed by the station to make way for fresh talent Credit: Getty – Contributor This week it was announced that long-standing duo Melvin Odoom and Rickie Haywood-Williams will be departing, while DJs Dean McCullough, Nat O’Leary, James Cusack and Swarzy are also on their way out. Meanwhile, social media stars GK Barry and Charley Marlowe are set to come in as part of a shake-up.  And lesser-known DJs Mylo & Rosie, as well as Emil Franchi, have landed bigger slots. Insiders say tensions at the flagship youth station reached fever pitch after the comings and goings were announced on Wednesday, with some staffers claiming they only learnt of the changeswhen the BBC press office made them public. “To say the handling of this feels like an absolute mess is an understatement,” one told The Sun. “Some producers had no idea their talent was leaving. One of Melvin and Rickie’s team wasn’t told about the changes until they saw the email. “They’d been on the station for seven years. So to see them suddenly off out of the back door was really upsetting. The atmosphere was chaotic and some staff were absolutely shellshocked.”  The changes have been met with hostility from listeners, many of whom took to social media to vent their anger. One Radio 1 listener wrote on Instagram: “This is so disappointing. “Both GK Barry and Charley Marlowe are incredibly talented at their craft but it’s so discouraging to see BBC Radio 1providing these opportunities to host to already established presenters when there are so many people looking to break into the industry.”  Another was not happy with “clearing out DJs for social media ‘stars’,” while a third added: “Why is R1 on a self-sabotage mission by bringing in a load of social media ‘stars’ and godawful local radio DJs?”  An emotional staffer told us that a meeting, which was said to have included long-standing radio producers, was called to discuss the changes after the announcements were made.  11 Melvin’s duo Rickie Haywood-Williams will also be departing Credit: PA 11 Social media star GK Barry is set to come in as part of the shake-up Credit: Getty They explained: “There is a weekly meeting on a Wednesday at Radio 1, but this week they called a second meeting where people were invited to speak up. “A fair few people put their hands up to raise concerns. “The main bone of contention was why Radio 1 appeared keen to say goodbye to established broadcasters and replace them with YouTubers and TikTokers. “Much of the blame is being laid at the door of the big boss, Aled Haydn Jones. Some of the staff are so unhappy.” Aled was a DJ on Radio 1 between 2009 and 2015 before he succeeded Ben Cooper as head of the station in 2020. Insiders say he prides himself on championing new talent and is behind the raft of influencers joining the line-up, including GK, who came fifth in 2024’s I’m A Celeb. Her arrival, alongside social media sensation Charley, has allegedly more than ruffled feathers. “These influencers are lovely but they’re not radio geeks like most of the DJs who work at Radio 1,” one staffer explained. 11 Bosses are helping Charley Marlowe can freshen up the station Credit: Getty 11 Lesser-known DJs such as Emil Franchi have landed bigger slots Credit: Getty “Working at Radio 1 is the dream job for any budding broadcaster who has put in the hard yards on student radio or local stations. “It was held up as the pinnacle by so many people. “But now it’s being eroded by this desperation to bring in ‘new’ talent that they think will bring in a new audience. “The producers who work on these shows are so upset at what is happening. “A couple have already decided to walk away. And it won’t be long before others start jumping ship.” Another staffer added: “Aled seems to think social media is going to save Radio 1, but where’s the proof? “Audience figures are down and they think the way to save it is by plugging the gap with people who are popular on the internet. “That’s all well and good, but will their millions of followers start tuning into Radio 1 just to listen to them? It’s doubtful. 11 Insiders claimed Greg James is staying put at Radio 1 despite Radio 2 being keen to bring him on boardCredit: Getty 11 Radio 1 made huge stars out of presents including Sara Cox and Chris Evans Credit: Getty “Their fans already have access to their content at the touch of a button and that is a daily habit. “Making them carve out a new habit of listening to them every day is incredibly difficult.” Launched in 1967, Radio 1 was born out of the need to compete with the rise of pirate radio stations which had become hugely popular. Legendary broadcaster Tony Blackburn was the first DJ to broadcast on the new station. It grew into a juggernaut of the airwaves, commanding audiences of ten million for some shows and making huge stars out of presenters including Chris Evans, Simon Mayo and Sara Cox. But as listening habits change, audiences across the BBC and commercial stations are decreasing.  Figures at the start of this year confirmed that the weekly audience reach across BBC radio stations is in steady decline. In the final quarter of 2025, Radio 1’s weekly audience reach dropped by six per cent compared to the same period last year. 11 Chris Moyles was a staple of the BBC Radio 1 airwaves Credit: PA 11 Legendary broadcaster Tony Blackburn was the first DJ to broadcast on the station Credit: Getty – Contributor But bosses were keen to stress that their target market of 15 to 29-year-olds was consuming Radio 1 in different ways. In that same final quarter, the station boasted more than 329million views on social media and Radio 1’s YouTube videos have had more than 6.1billion views.  But one BBC employee said: “It’s not just young people that listen to Radio 1.  “There is a decent percentage of listeners that are older. “They have stuck with the station since they were young and they tune in to listen to DJs they have known and loved for years. Putting some influencers in their places, regardless of how well known they are, won’t translate as well. “Many people working at Radio 1 think Aled is making a mistake if he carries on in this vein.” The remaining jewel in the Radio 1 crown is Breakfast Show host Greg James. Greg, 40, took over the coveted role from Nick Grimshaw in 2018 and pulls in more than four million listeners, making it the No1 Breakfast Show for young people across the country. But a well-placed insider revealed that BBC Radio 2 — the nation’s biggest station — was keen to bring him on board. 11 The late Terry Wogan was a staple of the radio showCredit: Hulton Archive – Getty “Greg had meetings with Radio 2 and they were testing the water in a bid to poach him,” a source claimed. “When Scott Mills left Radio 2’s Breakfast Show and Sara Cox took over, there was a lot of talk at Broadcasting House about whether Greg would make the move. But he’s definitely staying on board at Radio 1 for now. “To lose Greg would have been horrendous because he is such a figurehead at Radio 1. “Thankfully, he’s remaining in place.” The Sun understands some staffers are now considering jumping ship with the departing talent. And the blame is being solely laid at Aled’s door. “Aled has been massacring the schedules and the method isn’t working,” one staffer said. “The feeling is that he is ruining Radio 1 and it is heartbreaking. “It feels like the craft of making radio isn’t being respected and the people behind the scenes who craft this magic for the audience aren’t being treated with the respect they deserve. Radio 1 used to be the best station to work at, with the most talented pool of people and the most incredible presenters. “It’s like a shadow of what it once was.” A BBC spokesman said: “Radio 1 is proud to be the number one station for young audiences and has a strong track record of supporting and developing young and emerging radio talent, with a huge majority of presenters having come through the station’s own initiatives and opportunities. “Alongside Radio 1’s commitment to nurturing new voices, there will always be a home for DJs with specialist music knowledge and talent from a diverse range of backgrounds who we know resonate with our young audience.”

Not a nice write up!  Was in The Sun but behind a paywall https://smry.ai/www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/39783549/radio-1-absolute-mess-tensions-star-bloodbath/?smryFrom=home 

So seems like heart then he might be going too  

Yes I definitely know it was choice to leave BBC Radio 1 but it was because he didn’t want to earlies anymore and there wasn’t another slot open for him 

Dean has interestingly also replied to a comment made by Seb Bailey (who presents on Heart) saying see you soon! I’m pretty sure him and Nat at the very least have chosen to leave and are off to Global.  I would also guess that James has another gig but I’m not 100% sure it’s Global?