Simon Mayo
Encyclopedia
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 broadcaster of the year" at the 34th annual Broadcasting Press Guild
Awards and the "Speech Broadcaster of the Year" at the Sony Radio Academy Awards
, receiving the latter for his "ability to paint colourful pictures of location and event and his ability to bring the very best out of his guests, encouraging conversation and interaction between them while skilfully nudging and controlling them" and for being "a master of light and shade, handling serious and lighter issues with aplomb." Known as a committed Christian, Mayo has criticised the BBC for marginalising religion and being anti-Christian.
, an historic independent school in the West Midlands
, and after graduating from the University of Warwick
in 1980 with a degree in History
and Politics
, Mayo spent some time honing his skills at Southlands Hospital Radio
, worked for five years as a presenter with BBC Radio Nottingham
, before joining the national pop network BBC Radio 1
in 1986, presenting a two hour Saturday evening show from 7.30-9.30pm.
In October 1987 he progressed to the weekend early slots from 6.00am-8.00am and then became presenter of the weekday evening show in January 1988, which went out from 7.30pm-10.00pm. Five months later he was offered the Radio 1 breakfast show, regarded as the most prestigious presentation job in UK radio.
, Jakki Brambles
and Dianne Oxberry
. The show's producer was Ric Blaxill
who also made regular speaking contributions. A regular conceit was that the show was being overseen by a celebrity "guest producer", played by Blaxill without making any attempt to disguise his normal voice.
He started his first breakfast show by playing Somewhere in my Heart by Aztec Camera
, which was preceded by a montage of previous breakfast show hosts and then Mayo himself saying 'It's me, Simon Mayo, good morning'
The programme became known for various features, including On This Day In History
, soundtracked by a looped version of George Michael
's "I Want Your Sex
", and the long-running cryptic game The Identik-Hit Quiz
, where Mayo and his cohorts would 'act' a short scene which cryptically led listeners to the title of a hit song.
He also ran his Confessions
feature where members of the public sought absolution
for their (often frivolous or humorous) "sin
s", and it moved to a television series in later years. Mayo had already presented the dilemma show Scruples
for BBC television, and had joined his BBC Radio 1
colleagues on the host roster for Top of the Pops
.
Both On This Day In History and Confessions spawned spin-off books.
Due to frequent plays from Mayo, several unlikely hit singles reached the UK charts, including "Kinky Boots
" by Patrick Macnee
and Honor Blackman
; "Donald Where's Yer Troosers?" by Andy Stewart
; and "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life
", sung and written by Eric Idle
. For helping Monty Python
have a hit with the latter 13 years after it first appeared on the soundtrack to The Life of Brian
, Idle presented Mayo with a model bare foot, in the style of the animated version which used to end the opening titles to the TV show.
Presenters who covered the breakfast show when Mayo took holidays included Bruno Brookes
, Gary King, Phillip Schofield
, Nicky Campbell
, Sol Bamba and Mark Goodier
.
Mayo, like all of Radio 1's high-profile presenters of the time, would take his turn to spend a week in a coastal area of the UK during the Radio 1 Roadshow
s which occurred for three months of the summer. For a short while, he also presented an additional weekend show for the station on a Sunday afternoon and provisionally titled O Solomon Mayo - to cover for the absent Phillip Schofield
, who was working in the West End
.
and his wish to rebrand the station as younger and more 'cutting edge'.
In addition to his mid-morning show, from April 1994 - October 1995, Mayo also presented Simon Mayo's Classic Years, where he got to play two hours of classic pop tunes. The show originally went out on a Sunday lunchtime from 12.00noon-2.00pm, but in November 1994 went out from 10.00am-12.00noon on Sundays.
In January 1997, Mayo made a brief return to the breakfast show for three weeks when Chris Evans was dismissed, but both Mayo and Radio 1 ruled out the possibilities of a permanent return to the programme. On his first morning as breakfast stand-in, he read out an email from a man who had emigrated to New Zealand
four years earlier and had arrived back in the UK that morning, and was "delighted to hear you're still doing the breakfast show".
In 1999 Simon Mayo broke a world record by broadcasting for 37 hours in aid of that year's Comic Relief
. This record was broken by Chris Moyles
and Dave Vitty on 17th March 2011.
Mayo remained on the mid-morning slot until he left Radio 1 in 2001, seeing breakfast-show presenters Mark Goodier
, Steve Wright, Chris Evans, Mark and Lard
, Kevin Greening
, Zoe Ball
& Sara Cox
, come and go from the slot.
His final show was on Friday 16 February 2001 and before signing off, he said, "One of the reasons I'm not going to do a DLT is that I've nothing to complain about at all - though as I'll still be employed by the BBC it'd be a stupid thing to do. I always thought as a kid working at Radio 1 would be the most fun and the best place for any presenter to work and I still think that's true."
His final track played on BBC Radio 1 was Ace of Spades by Motorhead.
Mayo began broadcasting on Five Live every weekday from 1.00pm to 4.00pm, where he remained until December 18, 2009. He was on air in 2001 when the 9/11 attacks took place in the United States
, broadcasting live as the events unfolded.
The programme generally combined topical debates, interviews and reviews. It came live from Westminster
each Wednesday for live coverage of Prime Minister's Questions
, with discussion and debate afterwards with political correspondents and MPs
. The programme also featured Mayo's old Radio 1 sidekick Mark Kermode
reviewing the new movie releases each Friday afternoon. The banter between Mayo and Kermode in this section of the programme was described by both men as "wittertainment at its most wittertaining." (The neologism wittertainment is a portmanteu of witter and entertainment
, and was coined in a – now deleted – Wikipedia entry. However, Kermode and Mayo took note of the article before its deletion and have since been using the term regularly to refer to their show.)
In a May 2008 interview with The Guardian
, Mayo mentioned he "signed a contract for the next two years" and was uncertain whether he would still be at Five Live when it moves to Greater Manchester
. It was later confirmed that Mayo was to move to the Radio 2 drivetime slot, though he will also continue to host a weekly two-hour film review show on Radio 5 Live with Mark Kermode.
In May 2009 Mayo and Kermode won a Gold Sony Radio Award in the Speech Award category, due to continued good work and passion for radio
, from October 2001 - April 2007, Mayo hosted the Album Chart show each week for BBC Radio 2
. Alongside this, on 2 January 2006, he presented The Ultimate Music Year for the station, where listeners got the chance to vote for their favourite year for music. He has also presented many Sold on Song projects, presented the Top 100 Albums and provided holiday cover for Johnnie Walker
on Sundays. From April 2007 - April 2008 Mayo took over the Radio 2 Music Club every Monday night from 11.30pm-12.30am, travelling to London from his family home in Walberswick
in Suffolk
.
In January 2010, Mayo took over from Chris Evans on the Drivetime show
, noting he was "very lucky to be given a second chance in such a high-profile slot." The programme includes a number of regular daily features including a "Nigel's Recipes", "Confessions", "Homework Sucks" and "The Showstopper".
As his opening theme Mayo has used a 2007 recording by Jools Holland
and Prince Buster
of the 1948 song "Enjoy Yourself (It's Later than You Think)" by Carl Sigman and by Herb Magidson. Later editions of the show have also used the popular 1950 hit version by Guy Lombardo
and his Royal Canadians.
In May 2011, Mayo won a Sony Award for "Best Music Show" for his work and that of his team on the BBC Radio 2 drive time slot.
, a panel game
for BBC Radio 4
, first broadcast on Radio 4 on 27 November 2008.
as part of the corporation's National Lottery
output; he also hosted a TV version of his radio feature "Confessions".
In 2005 he presented a series "The Big Dig" on BBC TV about allotments in the Rhondda Valley
contrasted with others in Highgate, London.
, a boys' Independent school
in the English West Midlands
, and Worthing
Sixth-Form College, West Sussex
. He subsequently graduated from the University of Warwick
, Coventry
, with a degree in history
and politics
. While at university, he had been a presenter on the student radio station, Radio Warwick
. In 2005 the university awarded him an honorary Doctor of Letters
.
Mayo married Hilary Bird, a Radio Nottingham colleague, on 11 October 1986 in Burton Joyce
, Nottinghamshire
. They have two sons (born 1991 and 1999) and a daughter (born 1994). He is a supporter of Tottenham Hotspur
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
radio presenter who has worked for BBC Radio
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
since 1981. As of January 2010, Mayo is presenter of Simon Mayo Drivetime
Simon Mayo Drivetime
Simon Mayo Drivetime is a popular programme on BBC Radio 2, which airs on weekdays between 17:00 and 19:00 in the United Kingdom. It is presented by broadcaster Simon Mayo, who moved to drivetime from his weekday afternoon show on BBC Radio 5 Live after Chris Evans moved to take over the Radio 2...
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...
and, with Mark Kermode
Mark Kermode
Mark Kermode is an English film critic, musician and a member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. He contributes to Sight and Sound magazine, The Observer newspaper and BBC Radio 5 Live, where he presents Kermode and Mayo's Film Reviews with Simon Mayo on Friday afternoons...
, presenter of Kermode and Mayo's Film Reviews
Kermode and Mayo's Film Reviews
Kermode and Mayo's Film Reviews with Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo is a radio programme broadcast regularly on BBC Radio 5 Live every Friday afternoon between 2 pm and 4 pm...
on BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
.
In 2008, Mayo was recognised as the "radio broadcaster of the year" at the 34th annual Broadcasting Press Guild
Broadcasting Press Guild
The Broadcasting Press Guild is a British association of journalists who specialise in writing and broadcasting about television, radio and the media generally....
Awards and the "Speech Broadcaster of the Year" at the Sony Radio Academy Awards
Sony Radio Academy Awards
The Sony Radio Academy Awards , started in 1983, are some of the most prestigious awards in the British radio industry. They are run by ZAFER Associates in association with the Radio Academy...
, receiving the latter for his "ability to paint colourful pictures of location and event and his ability to bring the very best out of his guests, encouraging conversation and interaction between them while skilfully nudging and controlling them" and for being "a master of light and shade, handling serious and lighter issues with aplomb." Known as a committed Christian, Mayo has criticised the BBC for marginalising religion and being anti-Christian.
Early career
Mayo attended Solihull SchoolSolihull School
Solihull School is a British Independent school situated near the centre of Solihull, West Midlands, England.2010 saw Solihull School celebrate its 450th anniversary since its foundation in 1560....
, an historic independent school in the West Midlands
West Midlands
West Midlands may refer to:* West Midlands , a region in England* West Midlands , the metropolitan county in the West Midlands region* West Midlands conurbation, the large conurbation in the West Midlands region...
, and after graduating from the University of Warwick
University of Warwick
The University of Warwick is a public research university located in Coventry, United Kingdom...
in 1980 with a degree in History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and Politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
, Mayo spent some time honing his skills at Southlands Hospital Radio
Seaside Hospital Radio
Seaside Hospital Radio is a Hospital Radio service broadcasting to both Worthing and Southlands Hospitals in West Sussex, England from a studio site in Shoreham by Sea...
, worked for five years as a presenter with BBC Radio Nottingham
BBC Radio Nottingham
BBC Radio Nottingham is a BBC Local Radio station serving the English county of Nottinghamshire. It broadcasts on FM, AM, and digital DAB radio from studios located on London Road in Nottingham city centre.-Transmission frequences:...
, before joining the national pop network 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...
in 1986, presenting a two hour Saturday evening show from 7.30-9.30pm.
In October 1987 he progressed to the weekend early slots from 6.00am-8.00am and then became presenter of the weekday evening show in January 1988, which went out from 7.30pm-10.00pm. Five months later he was offered the Radio 1 breakfast show, regarded as the most prestigious presentation job in UK radio.
Radio 1 Breakfast Show
Mayo spent five years presenting the Radio 1 Breakfast Show. Throughout his tenure on the breakfast show, Mayo was joined by news anchor Rod McKenzie and went through a series of sidekick weather girls, including Carol Dooley, Sybil RuscoeSybil Ruscoe
Sybil Ruscoe , is a radio and television presenterRuscoe began on the Express and Star newspaper in Wolverhampton. Then moved to Radio Wyvern in Worcester, Beacon Radio and BBC Radio Shropshire. She then teamed up with Simon Mayo on the Radio 1 Breakfast show in 1989...
, Jakki Brambles
Jakki Brambles
Jackie Brambles , formerly known as Jakki Brambles, is an English journalist, radio DJ and television presenter.-Early life and early career:...
and Dianne Oxberry
Dianne Oxberry
Dianne Oxberry is an English weather forecaster and presents the weather forecasts on BBC North West Tonight. She joined the BBC working as a personal assistant at Radio 2....
. The show's producer was Ric Blaxill
Ric Blaxill
- Career :From 1988 to 1994, he was Producer/Senior Producer at BBC Radio 1, and 1994 to 1997, he was a Producer and Executive Producer, BBC 1's Top of the Pops, and later A&R Director for Independiente Records....
who also made regular speaking contributions. A regular conceit was that the show was being overseen by a celebrity "guest producer", played by Blaxill without making any attempt to disguise his normal voice.
He started his first breakfast show by playing Somewhere in my Heart by Aztec Camera
Aztec Camera
Aztec Camera were a Scottish New Wave band from the Glasgow suburb of East Kilbride, formed in 1980 and centered around teenage singer-songwriter, Roddy Frame. Their album Love was among the nominations for Best British Album at the 1989 BRIT Awards....
, which was preceded by a montage of previous breakfast show hosts and then Mayo himself saying 'It's me, Simon Mayo, good morning'
The programme became known for various features, including On This Day In History
On This Day In History
On This Day In History was a feature on the BBC Radio 1 breakfast show in the UK between 1988 and 1993. It was devised by the programme's presenter at the time, Simon Mayo....
, soundtracked by a looped version of George Michael
George Michael
George Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley...
's "I Want Your Sex
I Want Your Sex
"I Want Your Sex" was a single which first charted in June 1987, appearing on George Michael's Faith album, and the soundtrack to Beverly Hills Cop II....
", and the long-running cryptic game The Identik-Hit Quiz
The Identik-Hit Quiz
The Identik-Hit Quiz was a daily feature on the BBC Radio 1 breakfast show between 1988 and 1993, hosted by Simon Mayo.The quiz ran initially at 6.40am - when the show began at 6.30am - then after the programme was extended to a 6am start, room was found for two rounds a day as the feature became...
, where Mayo and his cohorts would 'act' a short scene which cryptically led listeners to the title of a hit song.
He also ran his Confessions
Confessions (radio)
Confessions is a popular and occasionally controversial feature first appearing on the BBC Radio 1 weekday breakfast show in the early 1990s, devised by its host, Simon Mayo....
feature where members of the public sought absolution
Absolution
Absolution is a traditional theological term for the forgiveness experienced in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This concept is found in the Roman Catholic Church, as well as the Eastern Orthodox churches, the Anglican churches, and most Lutheran churches....
for their (often frivolous or humorous) "sin
Sin
In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...
s", and it moved to a television series in later years. Mayo had already presented the dilemma show Scruples
Scruples
The word scruples or scruple can mean: – a doubt or hesitation that troubles the conscience or that comes from the difficulty of determining whether something is right...
for BBC television, and had joined his 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...
colleagues on the host roster for 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...
.
Both On This Day In History and Confessions spawned spin-off books.
Due to frequent plays from Mayo, several unlikely hit singles reached the UK charts, including "Kinky Boots
Kinky Boots (song)
"Kinky Boots" is a 1960s song written by Herbert Kretzmer and David Lee, and recorded by Patrick Macnee and Honor Blackman, stars of the television series The Avengers....
" by Patrick Macnee
Patrick Macnee
Patrick Macnee is an English actor, best known for his role as the secret agent John Steed in the series The Avengers.-Early life:...
and Honor Blackman
Honor Blackman
Honor Blackman is an English actress, known for the roles of Cathy Gale in The Avengers and Bond girl Pussy Galore in Goldfinger .-Early life:...
; "Donald Where's Yer Troosers?" by Andy Stewart
Andy Stewart (musician)
Andrew "Andy" Stewart MBE was a Scottish singer and entertainer.-Career:The use of tartan patriotism and stereotypical Scottish humour goes back to Sir Harry Lauder and music hall songs. In the 1960s this strand was continued by the entertainer Andy Stewart.He was born in Glasgow, Scotland in...
; and "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life
"Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" is a popular song written by Eric Idle that was originally featured in the 1979 film Monty Python's Life of Brian and has gone on to become a common singalong at public events such as football matches as well as funerals.-History:Whilst trying to come up...
", sung and written by Eric Idle
Eric Idle
Eric Idle is an English comedian, actor, author, singer, writer, and comedic composer. He was as a member of the British comedy group Monty Python, a member of the The Rutles on Saturday Night Live and author of the play, Spamalot....
. For helping Monty Python
Monty Python
Monty Python was a British surreal comedy group who created their influential Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series...
have a hit with the latter 13 years after it first appeared on the soundtrack to The Life of Brian
Monty Python's Life of Brian
Monty Python's Life of Brian, also known as Life of Brian, is a 1979 British comedy film written, directed and largely performed by the Monty Python comedy team...
, Idle presented Mayo with a model bare foot, in the style of the animated version which used to end the opening titles to the TV show.
Presenters who covered the breakfast show when Mayo took holidays included Bruno Brookes
Bruno Brookes
Bruno Brookes is a British radio presenter who became prominent in the 1980s.-Early life and career:...
, Gary King, Phillip Schofield
Phillip Schofield
Phillip Bryan Schofield is an English broadcaster and television personality best known for presenting shows such as This Morning, Dancing on Ice, and various game shows including The Cube.-Early life and career:...
, Nicky Campbell
Nicky Campbell
Nicholas Andrew Argyll "Nicky" Campbell is a Scottish radio and television presenter and journalist. He is known for his time presenting on programmes such as the consumer affairs programme Watchdog...
, Sol Bamba and Mark Goodier
Mark Goodier
-Early career:Mark Goodier was born in Rhodesia . His family moved to the UK when he was a child, eventually settling in Scotland. He was educated at George Heriot's School, in Edinburgh. He became a mobile DJ in Edinburgh and then joined local station Radio Forth at the age of 19...
.
Mayo, like all of Radio 1's high-profile presenters of the time, would take his turn to spend a week in a coastal area of the UK during the Radio 1 Roadshow
Radio 1 Roadshow
The Radio 1 Roadshow was an annual summer event hosted and broadcast by BBC Radio 1 from the 1970s through to the 1990s. The roadshow enjoyed three decades of live broadcasts from beach resorts around the UK...
s which occurred for three months of the summer. For a short while, he also presented an additional weekend show for the station on a Sunday afternoon and provisionally titled O Solomon Mayo - to cover for the absent Phillip Schofield
Phillip Schofield
Phillip Bryan Schofield is an English broadcaster and television personality best known for presenting shows such as This Morning, Dancing on Ice, and various game shows including The Cube.-Early life and career:...
, who was working in the West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
.
Radio 1 mid-mornings
Mayo officially gave up the breakfast show in 1993, though he had been on an extended period of paternity leave when the announcement was made. His stand-in Goodier was his replacement. Mayo moved on to the mid-morning slot from 9 am to 12 midday, and survived the cull of long-standing presenters which Radio 1 underwent the same year on the arrival of controller Matthew BannisterMatthew Bannister
Richard Matthew Bannister is a British media executive and broadcaster. After attending King Edward VII School , he graduated in law at the University of Nottingham in 1978, and joined BBC Radio Nottingham as a trainee reporter and subsequently the presenter of its speech-based breakfast show,...
and his wish to rebrand the station as younger and more 'cutting edge'.
In addition to his mid-morning show, from April 1994 - October 1995, Mayo also presented Simon Mayo's Classic Years, where he got to play two hours of classic pop tunes. The show originally went out on a Sunday lunchtime from 12.00noon-2.00pm, but in November 1994 went out from 10.00am-12.00noon on Sundays.
In January 1997, Mayo made a brief return to the breakfast show for three weeks when Chris Evans was dismissed, but both Mayo and Radio 1 ruled out the possibilities of a permanent return to the programme. On his first morning as breakfast stand-in, he read out an email from a man who had emigrated to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
four years earlier and had arrived back in the UK that morning, and was "delighted to hear you're still doing the breakfast show".
In 1999 Simon Mayo broke a world record by broadcasting for 37 hours in aid of that year's Comic Relief
Comic Relief
Comic Relief is an operating British charity, founded in 1985 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Lenny Henry in response to famine in Ethiopia. The highlight of Comic Relief's appeal is Red Nose Day, a biennial telethon held in March, alternating with sister project Sport Relief...
. This record was broken by Chris Moyles
Chris Moyles
Christopher David Moyles is an English radio and television presenter and author, who currently presents The Chris Moyles Show on BBC Radio 1 and Chris Moyles' Quiz Night on Channel 4....
and Dave Vitty on 17th March 2011.
Mayo remained on the mid-morning slot until he left Radio 1 in 2001, seeing breakfast-show presenters Mark Goodier
Mark Goodier
-Early career:Mark Goodier was born in Rhodesia . His family moved to the UK when he was a child, eventually settling in Scotland. He was educated at George Heriot's School, in Edinburgh. He became a mobile DJ in Edinburgh and then joined local station Radio Forth at the age of 19...
, Steve Wright, Chris Evans, Mark and Lard
Mark and Lard
Mark and Lard, the stage name of Mark Radcliffe and Marc Riley , are former BBC Radio 1 disc jockeys. Mark and Lard joined Radio 1 in October 1993 and left in March 2004...
, Kevin Greening
Kevin Greening
Kevin Greening was a British radio presenter, who co-hosted the BBC Radio 1 breakfast show with Zoe Ball from 1997 to 1998.-Early career:...
, 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...
& Sara Cox
Sara Cox
Sara Cox , known as "Coxy", is an English TV presenter and radio DJ, most well known for presenting the breakfast show on BBC Radio 1 between 2000 and 2003...
, come and go from the slot.
His final show was on Friday 16 February 2001 and before signing off, he said, "One of the reasons I'm not going to do a DLT is that I've nothing to complain about at all - though as I'll still be employed by the BBC it'd be a stupid thing to do. I always thought as a kid working at Radio 1 would be the most fun and the best place for any presenter to work and I still think that's true."
His final track played on BBC Radio 1 was Ace of Spades by Motorhead.
Five Live
In May 2001, after 15 years with Radio 1, Mayo joined another national BBC station, Radio Five Live to present an afternoon programme.Mayo began broadcasting on Five Live every weekday from 1.00pm to 4.00pm, where he remained until December 18, 2009. He was on air in 2001 when the 9/11 attacks took place in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, broadcasting live as the events unfolded.
The programme generally combined topical debates, interviews and reviews. It came live from Westminster
Westminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
each Wednesday for live coverage of Prime Minister's Questions
Prime Minister's Questions
Prime minister's questions is a constitutional convention in the United Kingdom that takes place every Wednesday during which the prime minister spends half an hour answering questions from members of parliament...
, with discussion and debate afterwards with political correspondents and MPs
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
. The programme also featured Mayo's old Radio 1 sidekick Mark Kermode
Mark Kermode
Mark Kermode is an English film critic, musician and a member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. He contributes to Sight and Sound magazine, The Observer newspaper and BBC Radio 5 Live, where he presents Kermode and Mayo's Film Reviews with Simon Mayo on Friday afternoons...
reviewing the new movie releases each Friday afternoon. The banter between Mayo and Kermode in this section of the programme was described by both men as "wittertainment at its most wittertaining." (The neologism wittertainment is a portmanteu of witter and entertainment
Entertainment
Entertainment consists of any activity which provides a diversion or permits people to amuse themselves in their leisure time. Entertainment is generally passive, such as watching opera or a movie. Active forms of amusement, such as sports, are more often considered to be recreation...
, and was coined in a – now deleted – Wikipedia entry. However, Kermode and Mayo took note of the article before its deletion and have since been using the term regularly to refer to their show.)
In a May 2008 interview with The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, Mayo mentioned he "signed a contract for the next two years" and was uncertain whether he would still be at Five Live when it moves to Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
. It was later confirmed that Mayo was to move to the Radio 2 drivetime slot, though he will also continue to host a weekly two-hour film review show on Radio 5 Live with Mark Kermode.
In May 2009 Mayo and Kermode won a Gold Sony Radio Award in the Speech Award category, due to continued good work and passion for radio
Radio 2
In addition to his daily programme on BBC Radio 5 LiveBBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
, from October 2001 - April 2007, Mayo hosted the Album Chart show each week for 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...
. Alongside this, on 2 January 2006, he presented The Ultimate Music Year for the station, where listeners got the chance to vote for their favourite year for music. He has also presented many Sold on Song projects, presented the Top 100 Albums and provided holiday cover for Johnnie Walker
Johnnie Walker (DJ)
Johnnie Walker MBE is a popular British veteran radio disc jockey and broadcaster....
on Sundays. From April 2007 - April 2008 Mayo took over the Radio 2 Music Club every Monday night from 11.30pm-12.30am, travelling to London from his family home in Walberswick
Walberswick
Walberswick is a village on the Suffolk coast in England, across the River Blyth from Southwold. Coastal erosion and the shifting of the mouth of the River Blyth meant that the neighbouring town of Dunwich was lost as a port in the last years of the 13th century...
in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
.
In January 2010, Mayo took over from Chris Evans on the Drivetime show
Chris Evans Drivetime
Chris Evans Drivetime was a flagship programme on BBC Radio 2, which aired on weekdays between 17:00 and 19:00 in the United Kingdom. It was presented by veteran broadcaster Chris Evans, who moved to drivetime from his Saturday afternoon show after Johnnie Walker gave up the slot after seven years...
, noting he was "very lucky to be given a second chance in such a high-profile slot." The programme includes a number of regular daily features including a "Nigel's Recipes", "Confessions", "Homework Sucks" and "The Showstopper".
As his opening theme Mayo has used a 2007 recording by Jools Holland
Jools Holland
Julian Miles "Jools" Holland OBE, DL is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer, and television presenter. He was a founder of the band Squeeze and his work has involved him with many artists including Sting, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, The Who, David Gilmour and Bono.Holland is a...
and Prince Buster
Prince Buster
Cecil Bustamente Campbell, O.D. , better known as Prince Buster, and also known by his Muslim name Muhammed Yusef Ali, is a musician from Kingston, Jamaica. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in the history of ska and rocksteady music...
of the 1948 song "Enjoy Yourself (It's Later than You Think)" by Carl Sigman and by Herb Magidson. Later editions of the show have also used the popular 1950 hit version by Guy Lombardo
Guy Lombardo
Gaetano Alberto "Guy" Lombardo was a Canadian-American bandleader and violinist.Forming "The Royal Canadians" in 1924 with his brothers Carmen, Lebert, and Victor and other musicians from his hometown, Lombardo led the group to international success, billing themselves as creating "The Sweetest...
and his Royal Canadians.
In May 2011, Mayo won a Sony Award for "Best Music Show" for his work and that of his team on the BBC Radio 2 drive time slot.
Radio 4
Mayo presents Act Your AgeAct Your Age (radio series)
Act Your Age is a panel game on BBC Radio 4 hosted by Simon Mayo. The series, created by Ashley Blaker and Bill Matthews , was first broadcast on 27 November 2008...
, a panel game
Panel game
A panel game or panel show is a radio or television game show in which a panel of celebrities participates. Panelists may compete with each other, such as on The News Quiz; facilitate play by guest contestants, such as on Match Game/Blankety Blank; or do both, such as on Wait Wait.....
for 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...
, first broadcast on Radio 4 on 27 November 2008.
Television projects
On TV he presented the first and second series of BBC show Winning LinesWinning Lines
Winning Lines was a National Lottery game show produced by Celador that ran on BBC One in the United Kingdom from 12 June 1999 to 16 October 2004. It was originally hosted by Simon Mayo from 1999 to 2000, then Phillip Schofield from 2001 to 2004....
as part of the corporation's National Lottery
National Lottery (United Kingdom)
The National Lottery is the state-franchised national lottery in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man.It is operated by Camelot Group, to whom the licence was granted in 1994, 2001 and again in 2007. The lottery is regulated by the National Lottery Commission, and was established by the then...
output; he also hosted a TV version of his radio feature "Confessions".
In 2005 he presented a series "The Big Dig" on BBC TV about allotments in the Rhondda Valley
Rhondda
Rhondda , or the Rhondda Valley , is a former coal mining valley in Wales, formerly a local government district, consisting of 16 communities built around the River Rhondda. The valley is made up of two valleys, the larger Rhondda Fawr valley and the smaller Rhondda Fach valley...
contrasted with others in Highgate, London.
Radio credits
- BBC Radio NottinghamBBC Radio NottinghamBBC Radio Nottingham is a BBC Local Radio station serving the English county of Nottinghamshire. It broadcasts on FM, AM, and digital DAB radio from studios located on London Road in Nottingham city centre.-Transmission frequences:...
- The Simon Mayo Show 1981-86 - BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1BBC 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...
:- Saturday evenings 7.30-9.30pm 1986-87
- Weekend early mornings 6-8am Late 1987
- Monday-Thursday evenings 7.30pm-10.00pm January-May 1988
- Breakfast Show 6.00am-9.00am May 1988-September 1993
- Mid Morning Show 9.00am-12.00 noon October 1993-February 2001
- BBC Radio 5 LiveBBC Radio 5 LiveBBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
- Afternoon Show 1.00pm-4.00pm May 2001-December 2009- Wittertainment 2.00pm-4.00pm January 2010–Present
- BBC Radio 2BBC Radio 2BBC 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...
:- Album Chart Show Monday evenings 7.00pm-8.00pm October 2001-April 2007
- Music Club Monday nights/Tuesday mornings 11.30pm-12.30am April 2007-April 2008
- Drivetime Mon - Fri 5.00pm-7.00pm January 2010–Present
- BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4BBC 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...
- Act Your Age 6.30pm November-December 2008
Personal life
Mayo was educated at Solihull SchoolSolihull School
Solihull School is a British Independent school situated near the centre of Solihull, West Midlands, England.2010 saw Solihull School celebrate its 450th anniversary since its foundation in 1560....
, a boys' Independent school
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
in the English West Midlands
West Midlands (region)
The West Midlands is an official region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It contains the second most populous British city, Birmingham, and the larger West Midlands conurbation, which includes the city of Wolverhampton and large towns of Dudley,...
, and Worthing
Worthing
Worthing is a large seaside town with borough status in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, forming part of the Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton conurbation. It is situated at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of the county town of Chichester...
Sixth-Form College, West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
. He subsequently graduated from the University of Warwick
University of Warwick
The University of Warwick is a public research university located in Coventry, United Kingdom...
, Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, with a degree in history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
. While at university, he had been a presenter on the student radio station, Radio Warwick
Radio Warwick
Radio Warwick or RaW is the student radio station at the University of Warwick and winner of the 2000 and 2003 BBC Radio 1 Student Radio Association Best Station awards....
. In 2005 the university awarded him an honorary Doctor of Letters
Doctor of Letters
Doctor of Letters is a university academic degree, often a higher doctorate which is frequently awarded as an honorary degree in recognition of outstanding scholarship or other merits.-Commonwealth:...
.
Mayo married Hilary Bird, a Radio Nottingham colleague, on 11 October 1986 in Burton Joyce
Burton Joyce
Burton Joyce is a large village and civil parish in the Gedling district of Nottinghamshire, England. It has a population of 4,000 and acts mainly as a commuter village for Nottingham....
, Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
. They have two sons (born 1991 and 1999) and a daughter (born 1994). He is a supporter of Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
.
External links
- Simon Mayo Drivetime from BBC Radio 2BBC Radio 2BBC 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...
- Simon Mayo's blog for the Radio 2 Drivetime programme
- Kermode and Mayo's Film Review from BBC Radio 5 LiveBBC Radio 5 LiveBBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
- Film review video podcast by Simon Mayo and Mark Kermode, from Radio Five Live's website
- FlickrFlickrFlickr is an image hosting and video hosting website, web services suite, and online community that was created by Ludicorp in 2004 and acquired by Yahoo! in 2005. In addition to being a popular website for users to share and embed personal photographs, the service is widely used by bloggers to...
photo sets from Radio 5 Live:- Mayo in the USA from October 2008
- Simon Mayo's Guests
- Mayo at the 2008 Wentworth PGA Championship
- Simon Mayo from Radio Rewind's website
- Shed of the year 2011 judge Simon Mayo