Being recognised by your peers is something I suppose we all appreciate, so when I was told today that I had been nominated for a Sony Radio Award, you can imagine how I greeted the news. I’ve been shortlisted for the Speech Radio Programme of the Year award for my LBC show. My LBC colleague Nick Ferrari is also shortlisted for the News & Current Affairs Show of the Year. The winners will be announced on 8 May at a ceremony in the West End hosted by the Radio Academy.
The other shorlisted programmes in my category are
JVS Show on BBC Three Counties
Alan Robson’s Nightowls – Metro Radio
The Listening Project – BBC Radio Documentaries with BBC English Regions & BBC Nations for BBC Radio 4
Witness – BBC News for BBC World Service
My broadcasting hero Stephen Nolan won this award last year and he sent me a lovely congratulatory text. It would be an honour to take it from him, but to be shortlisted is indeed an honour itself. It’s also good to be up against another broadcasting legend, Fi Glover, the voice behind the Listening Project. I used to co-present Sunday Service on 5 Live with her, and she is one of the most talented people on British radio. I don’t know Alan Robson but I’m told he is a radio hero in the north east. JVS, judging by Twitter, is almost as much of a self publicist and media tart as me. I enjoyed listening to him sit in for Mr Nolan last weekend. I don’t know the Witness programme, but I am sure it is superb!
Of course, as a presenter I know more than anyone how important my production team is. Over the last twelve months or so it’s been a pleasure to work with such a brilliant set of people. And in case I don’t win (!) I’m going to name them now – producers Laura Marshall, Matt Harris, Carl McQueen, Joe Pike, Caroline Allen, Christian Mitchell, Rebekah Walker, Raj Pattni and Hollie Atherton. Our reporting team are superb – Tom Cheal (political editor), Dan Freedman, Declan Harvey (now with Newsbeat) and Tom Swarbrick. I have learned so much from my fellow presenters on the station, especially my predecessors on the evening show, Petrie Hosken, and on Drive, the inimitable James Whale.
I will forever be grateful to Richard Park, Jonathan Richards, John Cushing and Chris Lowrie for giving me the chance to host a daily show on LBC. Chris Lowrie continues to keep me on the straight and narrow and isn’t afraid to tell me how I could improve. Louise Birt was an inspiration for the Sunday Show and we had many laughs together, James Rea, LBC’s Managing Editor is a very patient man and I am sure that from time to time I drive him to distraction, but my thanks also go to him for encouraging me to be the best I can be.
I’m sorry if this post reads like am acceptance speech for an award I haven’t actually won, but I’m writing it now as I don’t expect to win and want to acknowledge all those who have played their part in getting me shortlisted for this award. Thank you.
