Christopher Francis Stark (born 12 March 1987) is a British radio and television presenter, podcaster, and entrepreneur. He is best known for his decade as co-host of the Scott Mills show on BBC Radio 1, and is currently a presenter on Capital Breakfast alongside Jordan North and Sian Welby, and a co-host of the That Peter Crouch Podcast.
Quick facts
- Born: 12 March 1987, Watford, England
- Education: BSc Politics, University of Southampton (2008)
- Occupations: Radio and TV presenter, DJ, author, entrepreneur
- Employers: BBC (former), Global (current)
- Known for: Scott Mills (BBC Radio 1), Virtually Famous, That Peter Crouch Podcast, Capital Breakfast
- Spouse: Ria Holland (m. 2018)
- Children: 2
Early life
Stark was born in Watford, England, on 12 March 1987. He attended a boys’ school locally, where, aged around 16, he organised a protest campaign against rising prices in the school canteen — building a dedicated website, using coded aliases among the organisers, and papering the school in posters. The campaign culminated in a lunchtime “boycott” that ended in some disorder after a student threw an apple, leading to Stark being removed from the scene by the headteacher.
He has also spoken about running a school assembly on the theme of anti-bullying, built around Baz Luhrmann’s song “Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen).” He had planned to hand out miniature bottles of sunscreen to the assembly as a closing gesture, but classmates secretly removed the lids beforehand; when he distributed them, the resulting mess covered much of the hall, teachers included. He has described it as his favourite personal story from his years on air.
A lifelong supporter of Watford F.C., Stark has described childhood Saturdays built around matchday routines — including a regular pre-match stop for a steak slice from the Wenzels bakery chain, listening to BBC Radio 5 Live’s Fighting Talk, and meeting friends at the Pinner war memorial before walking on to Vicarage Road.
Education
Stark studied BSc Politics (within Social Sciences: Politics & International Relations) at the University of Southampton, graduating in 2008. While there, he became involved with the university’s student radio station, Surge, working as a DJ. He has credited this experience directly with launching his broadcasting career, stating: “Without Surge I do not think I would be on Radio 1 today.” He balanced his coursework with DJ bookings and student radio commitments throughout his degree, supported by his personal tutor.
Career
Meeting Scott Mills
Stark met BBC Radio 1 presenter Scott Mills while both were active in Southampton’s nightlife and student radio scene: Mills, originally from Southampton, was a regular booking at university club nights where Stark worked as the resident DJ. Their friendship developed over several years, including DJ bookings together in Newquay. Mills later helped introduce Stark to industry contacts, including a contact at Galaxy radio in Birmingham, and encouraged him to enter the Student Radio Awards, for which Stark was shortlisted but did not win.
Stark first appeared informally on the Scott Mills show as “Scott’s friend Chris” in early 2012, before officially joining as a permanent co-host on 2 April 2012. Reflecting later on what led him to bring Stark onto the show, Mills said: “Radio 1 did not have anybody like him. He was your everyday guy who wore a chain, listened to two-step garage, and was like a normal lad on the radio… and that was a lot of our audience, and we did not have it represented.”
BBC Radio 1 (2012–2022)
As a regular co-host on Scott Mills, Stark became closely associated with several of the show’s long-running features, including Innuendo Bingo, Real or No Real, and Bamboleo Wednesday.
“24 Years at the Tap End”
From 11 November 2011, Stark presented a recurring autobiographical segment titled 24 Years at the Tap End, in which he read aloud from his self-described “autobography” — a deliberately mispronounced take on “autobiography.” He has said he was inspired to write it after reading the autobiography of Coach Trip‘s Brendan Sheerin. The segment’s title refers to his realisation, at age 24, that he had always sat at the “wrong” end of the bath. Two series aired, concluding in March 2013, with a one-off live special, Tap End: Unplugged, broadcast in January 2014 as part of a Radio 1 comedy night; archive episodes were repeated in 2020.
“Superfan Steve”
Stark also became known for performing as “Superfan Steve,” a recurring comic character used to prank celebrity guests on the show. In the format, a celebrity guest would be “put through” to speak with their supposed biggest fan, who appeared to possess an implausible level of personal knowledge about them — Stark performing the role with answers prepared out of view. Confirmed targets across the show’s run include Cheryl, Charlie XCX, Andy Murray, and Gemma Collins. The segment became one of the show’s most fondly remembered recurring bits, with listeners recalling specific instalments years afterward.
“Chris Stark’s Guide to Britain”
Stark also hosted a separate recurring segment, Chris Stark’s Guide to Britain, profiling a different UK town or city in each instalment.
Mila Kunis interview (2013)
In March 2013, Stark was sent with only ten minutes’ notice to a press junket for the film Oz the Great and Powerful to interview actress Mila Kunis for the Scott Mills show. Rather than discuss the film, Stark’s sole film-related question was “did you enjoy being ugly for once?”, referencing Kunis’s character transforming into the Wicked Witch of the West; he then spent the remainder of the interview discussing his local pub, Watford F.C., Nando’s, and inviting Kunis to a friend’s upcoming wedding. The interview went viral, reaching over ten million views within days, and led to Stark being interviewed by international outlets including Access Hollywood and CNN.
BBC Radio 5 Live (2019–2022)
From 9 November 2019, Stark co-hosted a new Saturday morning programme with Mills on BBC Radio 5 Live, titled Scott Mills and Chris Stark, airing 9–11am in the slot previously held by Danny Baker. On launch, Stark said: “Saturday mornings for me were always the excitement of a day of sport ahead and the routines that came with it… To take on Saturday mornings at 5 Live is a huge honour.” The programme ran for almost three years, concluding alongside the pair’s departure from Radio 1 in 2022.
Departure from Radio 1 (2022)
On 1 July 2022, the BBC announced that Mills and Stark would both leave Radio 1, having spent 24 and 10 years on air respectively. Mills moved to BBC Radio 2 to take over Steve Wright’s afternoon slot; Stark joined Global’s Capital Breakfast. Aled Haydn Jones, Head of BBC Radio 1, said: “Chris has been an integral part of the Radio 1 family who has brought so much entertainment and laughter to Radio 1 over the years.” Their final week of shows was broadcast live from Newquay that August, during which the pair recorded an emotional farewell conversation reflecting on a decade working together. Dean McCullough and Vicky Hawkesworth, who succeeded them in the Radio 1 daytime slot, learned of their new roles live on air when Mills and Stark phoned them mid-broadcast.
Capital Breakfast (2022–present)
Stark joined Global’s Capital Breakfast in October 2022, initially alongside Roman Kemp and Sian Welby, in a dual role as presenter and creative director. He currently co-hosts the show with Jordan North and Sian Welby.
Podcasting
Stark has co-hosted That Peter Crouch Podcast since 2018, alongside Peter Crouch and Tom Fordyce; the show moved from the BBC to Acast in 2022 and has since been joined by co-host Steve Sidwell.
Television
Stark has made numerous television appearances, including:
- Team captain on E4’s Virtually Famous (2014–2016)
- A 2014 Channel 4 documentary special in which he attempted to interview a bucket list of celebrities
- Celebrity Mastermind and a celebrity edition of Robot Wars (2016)
- A guest appearance on CBBC’s Saturday Mash-Up! (2017), during which it was revealed he had been a contestant on the original Get Your Own Back as a child
“Get Your Own Back”
Stark has frequently referenced, throughout his radio career, a childhood appearance on the CBBC gameshow Get Your Own Back at age 10, in which his own barber appeared in costume as a giant flower for a challenge. He has long maintained that presenter Dave Benson Phillips miscounted the number of petals he knocked off during the challenge, costing him the win — a grievance he revisited repeatedly on air over the following decade, and the subject of a YouTube video he made titled Get Your Own Back: In Justice.
Personal life
Stark is married to Ria Holland, with whom he has two children. He remains a supporter of Watford F.C.
In March 2025, Stark publicly announced he had been diagnosed with testicular cancer, discovered following a routine GP appointment. He underwent surgery and a course of chemotherapy as a precaution, during which he stepped back from broadcasting. He chose to share the diagnosis publicly to encourage other men to seek medical advice, noting that the cancer was caught early and is highly treatable, particularly in men aged 18–49.
Business ventures
Stark is involved in two business ventures: BBQ United, a barbecue-related venture, and Commentary Charts, of which he is listed as co-founder.