Ros Atkins, 48, grew up in Stithians, Cornwall, reading history at Jesus College, Cambridge, before becoming one of the BBC’s brightest new stars. Holding posts at BBC Radio 5 Live, the World Service and Outside Source, he has also pursued his passion for music, setting up the club night Sharp in Brixton, as well as DJing at events such as Womad. Known for his sharp viral “explainer” videos – crunching complex news stories into short, shareable clips – his new show On the Week is available to stream.
I was really nervous when this photograph was taken, and it’s clear that I am concentrating. The gig was a festival in Regent’s Park organised by Innocent Drinks, and I hadn’t quite realised what I’d been signed up for. The guy who was running the show had been vague and said: “I’d like you to do something, I’ll let you know a bit more about it nearer the time.” So I was hugely surprised a few weeks before the event when I saw the running order. Hedkandi – a huge house music name – was on before me and I thought: “Blimey, I am slightly out of my depth.”
