Jo Whiley
Encyclopedia
Johanne "Jo" Whiley is a British radio disc jockey
and television presenter. She was the host of the long running weekday Jo Whiley Show
on Radio 1.
near Northampton and then studied applied languages at Brighton Polytechnic – "I went to Brighton Polytechnic to do languages, which I didn't particularly enjoy.".
She had an unusual upbringing due to her sister, Frances, suffering from cri du chat
, the symptoms of which meant that her sister had no sense of danger, suffered from outbursts and temper tantrums, obsessive behaviour and a short attention span. The illness is congenital and Jo is a carrier. In 2006 she said that she had been tested at each of her pregnancies, and that she would have terminated a pregnancy if the tests had proved positive.
She swam competitively for Northamptonshire.
on a show called Turn It Up. It allowed anyone to get on the radio, and also required Whiley to attend gigs and interview the musicians.
After a year she left for City University, London
for a one year course on radio journalism
. After writing many letters, she got a job as a researcher on WPFM, a BBC Radio 4
youth culture and music show. When the presenters Terry Christian
and Gary Crowley
left, she took over, gaining her first presenting role. She then moved into television, firstly at British Satellite Broadcasting
where she produced and presented the indie show, and then at Channel 4
where she worked as a researcher on The Word
, with her friend Zoe Ball
.
Whiley moved on to BBC Radio 1
from September 1993 until February 1997, during the heyday of Britpop
with bands such as Blur
and Oasis
. She hosted a weekday evening show called The Evening Session with Steve Lamacq
, which was oriented towards less-mainstream, non-dance music. Whiley also presented her own show on Saturday afternoon for a time in late 1995.
From 1995-1998 she was a regular guest presenter on Top of the Pops
, initially co-presenting with fellow DJ Steve Lamacq
before flying solo and alternating with Zoe Ball
and Jayne Middlemiss
. The three are referred to by the Top of the Pops
website as the '90s girls', as between them they presented nearly every show of 1997. However, the only occasion when all three presented together was on Christmas Day 1997.
Whiley returned to the show twice between 2005-2006 to co-present alongside lead presenter Fearne Cotton
.
In July 2009, Whiley published her autobiography, My World in Motion, on CD from Random House
Audiobooks.
while working within the restrictions of Radio 1's daytime schedule. When Simon Mayo
left Radio 1 for Radio Five Live in February 2001, Whiley's show was moved to a mid morning slot.
As of 2005 the BBC paid her a salary of £250,000.
In July 2008 The Jo Whiley Show was fined £75,000 for misleading listeners, along with other BBC programmes totaling £400,000 The incident involved a member of BBC staff posing as a member of the public taking part in a competition. The BBC claim Whiley herself was unaware of the deception at the time of its broadcast.
In July 2009 it was announced that the Jo Whiley show would finish broadcasting on weekdays on Radio 1 in September as part of a major shake up of the station's weekday schedule. The shake up, billed as the biggest at Radio 1 for five years, would see Greg James
move to the afternoon slot (then occupied by Edith Bowman
), and Fearne Cotton
move to Whiley's slot. Cotton took over many of Whiley's popular features including the famous Live Lounge segment. Although both Whiley and Bowman moved to weekend slots on Radio 1, the news that Whiley and Bowman would leave their weekday shows led to some controversy, with BBC bosses facing allegations of being biased against older presenters, particularly as the announcement came shortly after the revelation that 30-year-old singer Alesha Dixon
would replace the much older Arlene Phillips
as a judge on Strictly Come Dancing
. Her final weekday program took place on 18 September 2009. Following the Jo Whiley Show, Whiley went on to present a weekend show on Radio 1 between 1pm and 4pm. As with her weekday show, it still features live performances from visiting artists, as well as three new features: Jo's Road Trip and Top of the Shops and SpellStar. Her last show on Radio 1 was on 27th March 2011.
on Radio 2
. She was first heard on the network on Friday 21 August and made subsequent appearances on 2 October, 6 November, 27 November and last and final stand in was on 18 December.
In March 2010 it was announced that Whiley and fellow Radio 1 presenter Steve Lamacq
would present a one off Evening Session (the first in 13 years) on Good Friday (2 April) for BBC 6 Music
. Presented another Evening Session on 28th January 2011.
After an occasional stand in presenter on BBC Radio 2
Whiley began presenting In Concert on Thursday evenings (8pm to 10pm) from April 2010.
On 1 February 2011 it was announced that Whiley would be leaving BBC Radio 1 after 17 years to move to Radio 2, where she would present an evening show from Mondays to Wednesdays starting 4th April 2011, replacing The Radcliffe and Maconie Show. Radcliffe and Maconie would, in turn, move to 6 Music while Whiley's Radio 1 show would be taken over by Huw Stephens
.
. She also narrated the BBC Three
series, Little Angels. In October 2007 she became a judge on the T4 (Channel 4)
show MobileAct Unsigned which searches for a band trying to get a record deal. Jo has recently begun hosting a Music TV show on music channel TMF
. In 1999 she briefly hosted her own music discussion show on Channel 4, called The Jo Whiley Show, but it was cancelled after one series.
On 15 March 2010 she presented an edition of the Panorama
documentary strand titled Are the Net Police Coming for You? in which she looked at a proposed new law targeting people who download music illegally
from the Internet.
, a UK charity that works to support people with learning difficulties. She is the front and host of the Little Noise Sessions
concerts, in aid of the Mencap charity. She is also a supporter of Tommy's - The Baby Charity. Whiley is the Patron of the Cri du Chat Syndrome Support Group.
has stated "her on-screen style that seems to inspire the main rage — a decades-long, squirming awkwardness that makes her look as if she’s about to corkscrew right off her chair and start drilling into the ground. This awkwardness extends into her conversational rhythm, which is angular — possibly free-jazz — in origin."
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
and television presenter. She was the host of the long running weekday Jo Whiley Show
The Jo Whiley Show
The Jo Whiley Show was a British weekday radio show on BBC Radio 1 hosted by Jo Whiley. The programme was on air from February 2001 to September 2009 and was broadcast each morning between 10:00am and 12:45pm. And Bank Holidays And Good Fridays At 10.00-13.00-Show Format:The show began at 10:00am...
on Radio 1.
Early life and education
Whiley was born to Martin, an electrician, and Christine a postmistress. She attended Campion SchoolCampion School (Bugbrooke)
The Campion School is a co-educational comprehensive school in Bugbrooke, about from Northampton, England. Founded in 1967, it has been a Language College since September 1997. In 2011, the school became an academy....
near Northampton and then studied applied languages at Brighton Polytechnic – "I went to Brighton Polytechnic to do languages, which I didn't particularly enjoy.".
She had an unusual upbringing due to her sister, Frances, suffering from cri du chat
Cri du chat
Cri du chat syndrome, also known as chromosome 5p deletion syndrome, 5p minus syndrome or Lejeune’s syndrome, is a rare genetic disorder due to a missing part of chromosome 5. Its name is a French term referring to the characteristic cat-like cry of affected children. It was first described by...
, the symptoms of which meant that her sister had no sense of danger, suffered from outbursts and temper tantrums, obsessive behaviour and a short attention span. The illness is congenital and Jo is a carrier. In 2006 she said that she had been tested at each of her pregnancies, and that she would have terminated a pregnancy if the tests had proved positive.
She swam competitively for Northamptonshire.
Early career
In her final year of her degree and still unsure of what she wanted to do, a conversation with a lecturer led to a job with BBC Radio SussexBBC Southern Counties Radio
BBC Southern Counties Radio was the BBC Local Radio service for the English counties of Surrey and Sussex. The station also covered a large part of North-East Hampshire. It was the first BBC Local Radio station to introduce a controversial all-speech format...
on a show called Turn It Up. It allowed anyone to get on the radio, and also required Whiley to attend gigs and interview the musicians.
After a year she left for City University, London
City University, London
City University London , is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1894 as the Northampton Institute and became a university in 1966, when it adopted its present name....
for a one year course on radio journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
. After writing many letters, she got a job as a researcher on WPFM, a BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
youth culture and music show. When the presenters Terry Christian
Terry Christian
Terry Christian is a British television and radio presenter whose credits include Channel 4's late night Youth Entertainment show The Word and ITV1 moral issues talk show It's My Life...
and Gary Crowley
Gary Crowley
Gary Crowley is an English broadcaster and DJ.When he was at school in the late Seventies Crowley started a punk fanzine titled The Modern World, interviewing some of the most important bands of the day including the Sex Pistols, the Clash and the Jam.After leaving school he took up a junior...
left, she took over, gaining her first presenting role. She then moved into television, firstly at British Satellite Broadcasting
British Satellite Broadcasting
British Satellite Broadcasting was a British television company which provided direct broadcast satellite television services to the United Kingdom...
where she produced and presented the indie show, and then at Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
where she worked as a researcher on The Word
The Word (TV series)
The Word was a 1990s Channel 4 television programme in the United Kingdom.-Format:Its presenters included Mancunian radio presenter Terry Christian, comedian Mark Lamarr, Dani Behr, Katie Puckrik, Jasmine Dotiwala, Alan Connor, Amanda de Cadenet and "Huffty"...
, with her friend Zoe Ball
Zoë Ball
Zoë Louise Ball is an English television and radio personality, most famous for becoming the first female host of the BBC Radio 1 breakfast show and for her earlier work presenting the 1990s children's show, Live & Kicking.-TV career:The daughter of the children's TV presenter Johnny Ball and his...
.
Whiley moved on to BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
from September 1993 until February 1997, during the heyday of Britpop
Britpop
Britpop is a subgenre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom. Britpop emerged from the British independent music scene of the early 1990s and was characterised by bands influenced by British guitar pop music of the 1960s and 1970s...
with bands such as Blur
Blur (band)
Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...
and Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
. She hosted a weekday evening show called The Evening Session with Steve Lamacq
Steve Lamacq
Steve Lamacq , sometimes known by his nicknames Lammo or "The Cat" is an English disc jockey, currently working with the BBC radio stations BBC 6 Music and BBC Radio 2.-Early career:He was born in Basingstoke, Hampshire...
, which was oriented towards less-mainstream, non-dance music. Whiley also presented her own show on Saturday afternoon for a time in late 1995.
From 1995-1998 she was a regular guest presenter on Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
, initially co-presenting with fellow DJ Steve Lamacq
Steve Lamacq
Steve Lamacq , sometimes known by his nicknames Lammo or "The Cat" is an English disc jockey, currently working with the BBC radio stations BBC 6 Music and BBC Radio 2.-Early career:He was born in Basingstoke, Hampshire...
before flying solo and alternating with Zoe Ball
Zoë Ball
Zoë Louise Ball is an English television and radio personality, most famous for becoming the first female host of the BBC Radio 1 breakfast show and for her earlier work presenting the 1990s children's show, Live & Kicking.-TV career:The daughter of the children's TV presenter Johnny Ball and his...
and Jayne Middlemiss
Jayne Middlemiss
Jayne Middlemiss is a London-based British television and radio presenter, originally from Northumberland. She began presenting music television shows such as The O-Zone and Top of the Pops in the mid '90s, before presenting a variety of other television and radio shows, including on BBC 6 Music...
. The three are referred to by the Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
website as the '90s girls', as between them they presented nearly every show of 1997. However, the only occasion when all three presented together was on Christmas Day 1997.
Whiley returned to the show twice between 2005-2006 to co-present alongside lead presenter Fearne Cotton
Fearne Cotton
Fearne Cotton is an English television and radio presenter who is known for presenting a number of popular TV programmes such as Top of the Pops and the Red Nose Day telethon. In 2007, she became the first regular female presenter of BBC Radio 1's Chart Show...
.
In July 2009, Whiley published her autobiography, My World in Motion, on CD from Random House
Random House
Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
Audiobooks.
The Jo Whiley Show - BBC Radio 1
From February 1997, she had a weekday lunchtime show, called The Jo Whiley Show and later The Lunchtime Social. This included elements of the evening show, such as tour dates and occasional live 'sessions' at Maida Vale StudiosMaida Vale Studios
Maida Vale Studios is a complex of seven BBC studios on Delaware Road, Maida Vale, London.It has been used to record thousands of classical music, popular music and drama sessions for BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 4 from 1946 to the present...
while working within the restrictions of Radio 1's daytime schedule. When Simon Mayo
Simon Mayo
Simon Mayo is an English radio presenter who has worked for BBC Radio since 1981. As of January 2010, Mayo is presenter of Simon Mayo Drivetime on BBC Radio 2 and, with Mark Kermode, presenter of Kermode and Mayo's Film Reviews on BBC Radio 5 Live.In 2008, Mayo was recognised as the "radio...
left Radio 1 for Radio Five Live in February 2001, Whiley's show was moved to a mid morning slot.
As of 2005 the BBC paid her a salary of £250,000.
In July 2008 The Jo Whiley Show was fined £75,000 for misleading listeners, along with other BBC programmes totaling £400,000 The incident involved a member of BBC staff posing as a member of the public taking part in a competition. The BBC claim Whiley herself was unaware of the deception at the time of its broadcast.
In July 2009 it was announced that the Jo Whiley show would finish broadcasting on weekdays on Radio 1 in September as part of a major shake up of the station's weekday schedule. The shake up, billed as the biggest at Radio 1 for five years, would see Greg James
Greg James (DJ)
Greg James is a British radio DJ at BBC Radio 1.Having previously had experience at BBC Radio Norfolk and Galaxy North East, James started presenting the Early Breakfast show in October 2007, replacing the previous incumbents of the slot, JK and Joel...
move to the afternoon slot (then occupied by Edith Bowman
Edith Bowman
Edith Eleanor Bowman is a Scottish music critic, radio DJ and television presenter. She is mostly known for hosting the weekday afternoon show and from September 2009 weekend morning on BBC Radio 1 and for presenting a variety of music related television shows and music...
), and Fearne Cotton
Fearne Cotton
Fearne Cotton is an English television and radio presenter who is known for presenting a number of popular TV programmes such as Top of the Pops and the Red Nose Day telethon. In 2007, she became the first regular female presenter of BBC Radio 1's Chart Show...
move to Whiley's slot. Cotton took over many of Whiley's popular features including the famous Live Lounge segment. Although both Whiley and Bowman moved to weekend slots on Radio 1, the news that Whiley and Bowman would leave their weekday shows led to some controversy, with BBC bosses facing allegations of being biased against older presenters, particularly as the announcement came shortly after the revelation that 30-year-old singer Alesha Dixon
Alesha Dixon
Alesha Anjanette Dixon is an English singer-songwriter, dancer, model and television personality. She first found fame in the all-female R&B trio Mis-Teeq, however, the trio separated in 2005 and Dixon continued pursuing her music career as a solo artist, signing to Polydor Records...
would replace the much older Arlene Phillips
Arlene Phillips
Arlene Phillips OBE is an English choreographer, theatre director, talent scout, TV presenter, TV judge and former dancer, who has worked in many fields of entertainment...
as a judge on Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing is a British television show, featuring celebrities with professional dance partners competing in Ballroom and Latin dances. The title of the show suggests a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing, with an allusion to the film Strictly Ballroom...
. Her final weekday program took place on 18 September 2009. Following the Jo Whiley Show, Whiley went on to present a weekend show on Radio 1 between 1pm and 4pm. As with her weekday show, it still features live performances from visiting artists, as well as three new features: Jo's Road Trip and Top of the Shops and SpellStar. Her last show on Radio 1 was on 27th March 2011.
BBC Radio 2
Since August 2009 Whiley has been an occasional stand in presenter for Claudia WinklemanClaudia Winkleman
Claudia Anne I. Winkleman is an English television presenter, film critic, radio personality and journalist.- Early life and family :...
on Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
. She was first heard on the network on Friday 21 August and made subsequent appearances on 2 October, 6 November, 27 November and last and final stand in was on 18 December.
In March 2010 it was announced that Whiley and fellow Radio 1 presenter Steve Lamacq
Steve Lamacq
Steve Lamacq , sometimes known by his nicknames Lammo or "The Cat" is an English disc jockey, currently working with the BBC radio stations BBC 6 Music and BBC Radio 2.-Early career:He was born in Basingstoke, Hampshire...
would present a one off Evening Session (the first in 13 years) on Good Friday (2 April) for BBC 6 Music
BBC 6 Music
BBC 6 Music is one of the BBC's digital radio stations, was launched on 11 March 2002 and originally codenamed Network Y. It was the first national music radio station to be launched by the BBC in 32 years....
. Presented another Evening Session on 28th January 2011.
After an occasional stand in presenter on BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
Whiley began presenting In Concert on Thursday evenings (8pm to 10pm) from April 2010.
On 1 February 2011 it was announced that Whiley would be leaving BBC Radio 1 after 17 years to move to Radio 2, where she would present an evening show from Mondays to Wednesdays starting 4th April 2011, replacing The Radcliffe and Maconie Show. Radcliffe and Maconie would, in turn, move to 6 Music while Whiley's Radio 1 show would be taken over by Huw Stephens
Huw Stephens
Huw Stephens is a radio presenter currently broadcasting shows on BBC Radio 1.-Early life and career:Stephens was born in Cardiff, Wales, the son of the author and literary journalist Meic Stephens...
.
Television career
Whiley presents televised coverage of major music festivals, such as the Glastonbury FestivalGlastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
. She also narrated the BBC Three
BBC Three
BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
series, Little Angels. In October 2007 she became a judge on the T4 (Channel 4)
T4 (Channel 4)
T4 is a scheduling slot on Channel 4 from about 09:00 until 14:00 on Saturdays and 17:00 on Sundays. It also airs on weekdays in the school holidays. The slot has a separate station identification on screen graphic from Channel 4 and E4. The logo of T4 is noticeably the top right segment of the...
show MobileAct Unsigned which searches for a band trying to get a record deal. Jo has recently begun hosting a Music TV show on music channel TMF
The Music Factory
The Music Factory is a pop music television channel that operates in Belgium .TMF previously operated channels in the Netherlands , the UK with TMF UK and Australia with . The brand is owned by MTV Networks International...
. In 1999 she briefly hosted her own music discussion show on Channel 4, called The Jo Whiley Show, but it was cancelled after one series.
On 15 March 2010 she presented an edition of the Panorama
Panorama (TV series)
Panorama is a BBC Television current affairs documentary programme, which was first broadcast in 1953, and is the longest-running public affairs television programme in the world. Panorama has been presented by many well known BBC presenters, including Richard Dimbleby, Robin Day, David Dimbleby...
documentary strand titled Are the Net Police Coming for You? in which she looked at a proposed new law targeting people who download music illegally
File sharing
File sharing is the practice of distributing or providing access to digitally stored information, such as computer programs, multimedia , documents, or electronic books. It may be implemented through a variety of ways...
from the Internet.
Personal life
Whiley married music executive Steve Morton in July 1991 in Northampton. The couple live in Northamptonshire, and have four children. Morton calls Whiley Mr Magoo because she blunders through life.Charity work
Whiley is a celebrity ambassador to MencapMencap
The Royal Mencap Society is a charity based in the UK that works with people with a learning disability.-Profile:Mencap is the UK's leading learning disability charity working with people with a learning disability and their families and carers...
, a UK charity that works to support people with learning difficulties. She is the front and host of the Little Noise Sessions
Little Noise Sessions
The Little Noise Sessions is a series of acoustic charity concerts held annually at the Union Chapel, London, England in November, although one was held in Exeter in December 2009. The proceeds of ticket sales are donated to the charity, Mencap...
concerts, in aid of the Mencap charity. She is also a supporter of Tommy's - The Baby Charity. Whiley is the Patron of the Cri du Chat Syndrome Support Group.
Criticism
On Whiley's presenting style, Times columnist Caitlin MoranCaitlin Moran
Caitlin Moran is a British broadcaster, TV critic and columnist at The Times, where she writes three columns a week: one for the Saturday Magazine, a TV review column, and the satirical Friday column "Celebrity Watch"...
has stated "her on-screen style that seems to inspire the main rage — a decades-long, squirming awkwardness that makes her look as if she’s about to corkscrew right off her chair and start drilling into the ground. This awkwardness extends into her conversational rhythm, which is angular — possibly free-jazz — in origin."