Nick Grimshaw Quits Radio 1 Breakfast Show
By Ed Biggs in Music / Festivals on 31 May 2018
Grimshaw has been presenting the Radio 1 breakfast show since 2012, but will step down and swap shifts with drivetime host Greg James.
Nick Grimshaw is to step down from his long-term role as host of BBC Radio 1’s breakfast show later this year, after roughly six years in the job.
The 33 year old host has been presenting Radio 1’s flagship morning programme since September 2012, but announced on Thursday morning (May 31st) to his millions of listeners that he would stepping down come the sixth anniversary of his appointment in September this year, admitting to being “really tired” and that he’d been doing the job for longer than he’d originally expected.
He’ll remain on Radio 1, with his shoes at the breakfast show being filled by Greg James in a direct time-slot swap with his colleague, who has hitherto presented the drivetime show.
Nick Grimshaw is stepping down from the Radio 1 breakfast show
“It was always my dream to do the breakfast show and I’m very grateful that I got to live my dream every day for what will be nearly six years. But six years is a long time and this isn’t a forever job. I had the time of my life. Come September, it will be six years,” Grimshaw said.
“I’ve decided it’s time for a change, time for a new show and, most importantly, it’s going to be time for a new wake-up time… preferably about 11.30am,” he added.
More: Nick Grimshaw’s Radio 1 breakfast show recovers as latest ratings revealed
The news comes shortly after Grimshaw’s weekly time on the breakfast show was cut, with him currently working four mornings a week with Fridays off. His later years in charge of the prestigious morning slot have occasionally seen him criticised for delivering record low ratings.
His successor also appeared on the show with Grimshaw, to speak about the “big challenge” of his upcoming role.
“I did not sleep one hour last night just thinking about it… it’s too much,” 32 year old James said, but adding he was “ready to give this a go”.
Ben Cooper, controller of Radio 1, 1Xtra and Asian Network, said of the departure: “Grimmy’s done a brilliant job reinventing the feel and tone of the breakfast show by connecting with new audiences in new ways in the digital age.”
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