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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Interviews by Rich Pelley

‘Suddenly misfits became pop stars, and we were part of it’: How Jo Whiley and Steve Lamacq made Radio 1’s Evening Session

Jo Whiley and Steve Lamacq at Radio 1 in 1994.
Jo Whiley and Steve Lamacq at Radio 1 in 1994. Photograph: Martyn Goodacre/Getty Images

Steve Lamacq, co-presenter

I worked for New Musical Express for five years, then Select magazine. I had a weekly show on the pirate radio station Q102, which morphed into Xfm, and made a couple of guest appearances on Mark Goodier’s fledgling BBC Radio 1 evening show. Mark was away for four weeks in the summer of 1993 so they got in guest presenters, including Jo and me. A couple of months later, we were invited back to co-host for seven weeks. Matthew Bannister had just taken control of Radio 1 with rumours of an immediate shake-up. He called us into his office. We both sat staring at our boots, thinking: “This is the point where he says: ’Thanks very much.’” He said: “We’d like you to carry on.” He gave us the job full time, and off we went.

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