“I take fun really seriously,” says Radio 1’s Greg James , cheerily ducking his 6ft 4 inch frame beneath the beams of a 15th-century London pub. His shaggy curls are wet from cycling through a downpour and his 2pm order – shot of espresso, half a Guinness – is perfectly on brand. Naughty, but moderate. I imagine he also needs a little pick-me-up, rising at 5am each weekday to ring lead three hours of “communal silliness” on the 7-10am Breakfast Show he’s been hosting since 2018.

At 39, James is now a decade older than listeners at the upper end of Radio 1’s 15-29 year old target demographic. But he has the perfect balance of boyish energy and comforting responsibility for the slot – and, as he says, “I still absolutely love doing it. After the pandemic I thought, ‘Maybe that is enou

See Full Page