BFBS Radio Presenters
Unlike children presenters should be heard, not seen. One of the joys
of radio is that listeners are almost inevitably obliged to conjure up
an idealised mental image of the face behind the voice. Another traditional
homily has it that reality rarely matches fantasy. How true.
"There are two things the world could never do without" – the words of a wizened old sage as a young Adam Gilchrist dangled upon his knee – "and those two things are soldiers and alcohol!".
Aidan spent 10 years with the BBC before joining BFBS full time. 'Been there, done that, enjoyed it so much went back and did it again!'
Andrew Astbury has been involved in the radio industry for the past twenty years. He first went to air in 1986 on Riviera Radio presenting the evening show and producing the weekly sports show on Saturdays.
Andy is promotions manager for
BFBS Radio, BFBS TV continuity announcer and presenter of the Saturday
Lunch Show. He's come a long way since his first radio job in the mid
1980s.
Annwen joined BFBS Radio in 2001 as a trainee broadcaster after being selected out of several hopefuls during a large recruitment drive, and has since enjoyed many overseas detachments to Cyprus, Gibraltar, the Falkland Islands and Bosnia...
Recognising his obvious talent, BFBS offered Anthony a job as a presenter on its worldwide radio network and a posting to Germany.
He said, ‘BFBS is an exciting place to be. I am looking forward to my first posting and to working with a great team.’
It all started one cold winters day when a dirty electrician stumbled into BFBS Gibraltar and asked, 'Have you got any jobs going?' Ben joined the team at BFBS Gibraltar as a volunteer and after six months his extreme hard work and dedication to the cause paid off.
Brian hails from the south-west of Scotland and joined the Army more or less straight from school. Whilst in Germany he spent some time fronting a band but, after realising he hadn‘t been at the front of the queue when great singing voices were handed out(!), he decided the next best thing would be ......
Or is it Marleeeene (in a Boyce accent)? It can’t be almost two years since she joined BFBS surely? The studios have never seen this much pink fluff, posters of Frank Lampard and secret stashes of chocolate…
Chris is another BFBS DJ who kicked off his career in commercial radio. He joined BFBS in London in 1991 and has worked in Cyprus, Iraq, Northern Ireland, Belize, Bosnia, Kuwait, Oman, the Falklands, Kosovo and Germany...
Clare joins BFBS after a chequered history as a dating expert, presenter and writer. Among her claims to fame, she’s been a guest on Richard & Judy ("everyone tried to get me to touch Richard’s knee, but I couldn’t reach!"), written two books and filmed a DVD called 'How To Chat Up Babes'!
Damian is the BFBS Radio Group Programme Director. He’s ‘done’ Brunei and the Falkland Islands, Germany, Hong Kong, Bosnia and Iraq, with several stints at BFBS UK. His most recent overseas posting was to the South Atlantic, where he co-ordinated BFBS’s coverage of the 25th anniversary of the Falklands War.
I am a well-travelled man in BFBS radio terms - after working for BFBS for a number of years I have managed to work in all but two of our stations most multiple times… thinking about it only the ruff ones multiple times.
Dave
Simon
Dave's ambition in life is to keep his hair as long as possible, never
wear a tie and to still be alive when England win the World Cup!
Hear the word reggae and you immediately think of Rodigan. David's reputation is renowned worldwide by radio listeners, reggae fans and some of the biggest selling reggae artists in the business.
Dusty Miller, services brat and now the longest serving employee in BFBS. He’s been all over the place - Germany, Cyprus, Belize, Hong Kong, Brunei, the Falkland Islands, Kosovo, Bosnia and the UK. He also served in the Gulf after Desert Storm as well as Gulf War 2 and is currently General Manager, Germany.
So what do you want to know about Eddie?
Well, he’s very shy, extremely sensitive and likes nothing more than reading or watching documentaries!
The slippery slope to the Canada breakfast show started with BFBS in Belize in 1992. Ernie found herself in this neighbourhood after converting a tribe of Central American Indians to her own religion of The Ministry of Pie-Eating....
Apart from playing the drums, hence the photo, Frank also likes classic cars, playing golf, watching live bands, socialising, playing pool and loves his grandma Elsie!
Gareth John began his broadcasting career at college and was voted Radio 1's College DJ of the Year in 1994. Since 1997 he's been based at London's Heart 106.2, and has worked for BFBS Radio since 2002.
This guy just wandered into the studios of BFBS Northern Ireland one afternoon and, well, sort of took up residence there...
Gini was born at a very early age in the frozen North and didn't take her duffel coat off 'til the age of 15. After selling knickers on Chesterfield market, she almost became the Vicar of Dibley...
Ian is back in Cyprus after time spent in the Falklands, Bosnia, BFBS UK and Gibraltar. It's an Island he regards as a second home, and no-one was happier when he was asked to move back there in the Summer of 2006.
I started with BFBS back in 1989. For a year I was paid a pittance and did all the jobs nobody else wanted to do. A four month stint in the Falklands preceded 2 years in Cyprus. The Gulf War and a flight in a Phantom stick firmly in the mind. A posting to Hong Kong followed, where I met my future wife...
Her early interest in radio led to voluntary work with 1431 Apple AM at Musgrove Park Hospital before heading for the Royal Holloway University of London to study history – and join their award winning radio station Insanity.
Following a successful GB junior athletics career, Jessie discovered that she had a passion for sport, music and the media, so decided to combine them all! So she began her radio career by volunteering on a community radio station in her home town of Liverpool while studying for her A Levels...
Jevo has been to most BFBS
locations, Gibraltar, Germany, Belize (4 times, but don't tell anyone!!!)
Cyprus, Brunei, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Bosnia, Kosovo, The Falklands and
Northern Ireland. There is only Canada missing from this collection of
postings and detachments (hint, hint)
I first started DJing when I was a student. Me and a friend were bored with things that were on offer so we thought we'd start our own club night. It was called the Plastic Factory and it was a mish-mash of different music...
It's a welcome return to the airwaves of BFBS Northern Ireland for Jonny who was last with us in 2002. Wanna find out what he's been up to since then?...
Judith hails from Northern Ireland and moved to England in 1986. After a long spell with hospital radio, during which time she won a BBC Radio award. She was offered her first professional presenter job at CFM in Carlisle where she presented The Late Night Love Zone!
As an airman’s son, Kal grew up listening to BFBS in Malta, Cyprus and Germany. He got his chance as a fresh faced weekend breakfast show presenter for BFBS in Cologne after an apprenticeship at the Canadian Forces Network Brunssum (CFNB) at Afcent in Holland.
Since joining BFBS in 2006 Katherine's been sunning herself in Cyprus, de-icing landrovers in the Falklands and sampling tapas with fish and chips in Gibraltar...
Taking “New Year, new career” quite literally, Lee started work with BFBS at the beginning of the millennium! Before that he worked in electronics and then moved into marketing where he retrained as a graphic designer.
In her spare time Lynne likes to play the piano naked and watch “You’ve been Framed” with Lisa Riley. She loves Lisa Riley. She believes she will be sacked shortly. She’s probably right.
...whilst running his own bar in Cyprus he was daft enough to be enticed into Radio by buddy (and BFBS Northern Ireland manager) Chris Pearson. He's slowly coming to terms with the idea that he'll never lead Arsenal out at The Emirates. The Mascot Mafia have it all sewn up...
‘Humf’ loves mixing, drinks and music, chilling and partying
...all at the same time....
Matt decided that he wanted to do radio on New Year’s Eve when he was about 14. Matt cannot be bothered to do the maths, thus proving that Matt is a little bit thick because he is 24 now, so that decision was made in 10 years ago in 1997.
It's Mike, or Northern Mike as he's also known - and yes, it's true... people do point and shout "Look at the Northerner" when he's feeding the pigeons in the street.
After taking part in a local 'Search for a Star' competition Neil's first job was with 96.4FM BRMB in Birmingham. He eventually came to BFBS via the GWR Group (Q103/Chiltern FM/2-Ten and Classic Gold Network), Fox FM and Galaxy.
Neil has spent most of his life trying to be other people, mostly whilst being himself, and wants to open a Bates Motel in every town...
Neil Moore has a gift….. aside from getting top club DJs to mix for Club Culture for free! He hasn't quite figured out if it's of any use to anyone else yet but it keeps him happy in darkened rooms hidden behind a set of turntables and mixer?
'Neil spent 7 years knocking
on the BFBS Radio door as a volunteer and freelance before finally, all
that knocking paid off.
‘Like a piece of the
furniture’…that’s what Nic has become having spent 6
memorable years at BFBS, mainly in the UK, but from time to time hopping
on a plane and jetting off to exotic locations around the world plying
his trade...
A collector of music from the
age of 13, when his dad built him his first record player, Nick has worked
for BFBS in Germany since 1992.
My interests include getting behind a set of decks and clearing dance floors, whether it’s because of my mixing or my dancing…I don’t care! I’m usually up for anything that will give me an adrenaline buzz or make people smile...
Nicky started with BFBS in Cyprus in 1995. She was our humble librarian, sorting out CDs for presenters and helping behind the scenes. Curiosity got the better of her, and she wondered what it would be like behind the microphone. So Nicky trained to be a volunteer presenter......
Joined BFBS in 1985 after 10 years in commercial radio in the UK. Cologne was his first BFBS posting followed by stints in Bielefeld, Berlin, Falklands, Hong Kong, London, N.Ireland, Cyprus and the Balkans
Paul has been with BFBS radio since 2002, he flirted with commercial stations such as Essex, Mercury and Jazz/Smooth Fm but Paul has now bitten the bullet, travelling the globe spreading his banter to anyone who understands him.
He’s much brighter and funnier than he sounds on the radio, but then he’d have to be. When Richard’s not on the radio he enjoys doing nothing, watching CSI Miami, drinking lager and then wine, and then sleeping with his mouth open.
For as long as he can remember Ross has always wanted to work in radio, and at the age of 15 this wish came true! Sure, it was only making tea and pressing buttons at local station Ocean FM, hardly the breakfast show on BBC Radio 1, but it was radio, and that’s what counts.
He’s been described as the “Kate Adie” of BFBS Radio and as Britain’s answer to Adrian Cronauer (Good Morning Vietnam). Now well known for his unique mix of (sometimes irreverent) forces' wit, satire and banter, Sean’s entertained the British Forces in some of the world’s trouble spots and has arguably caused more trouble amongst them than some of the conflicts they’ve been involved in.
Sharon has lead an amazing
life since leaving her Baltimore home. She spent time with the US Air
Force which is where she got a taste for jungle life... serving time in
the Panamanian jungle. She's also worked in a Mexican circus, been involved
with film work and is the founding Director of the Belize Zoo.
Simeon is the son of a vicar...he left school at 16 to serve a 4 year apprenticeship as an engineer…having fully learned the ins and outs of building printing presses he promptly left the manufacturing industry for a complete change – and pursued his ambition of becoming a radio DJ.
Simon says that although radio has seen huge changes in his time with BFBS, the basic idea remains the same: to play great music and try and be a pal to your Forces audience. “The British Forces are not only the best Armed Forces in the world, but they make a great audience too; their sense of humour is .....
Radio stations in Hong Kong and Abu Dhabi provided Steve with his grounding to join BFBS. The former gave him one of his first broadcast opportunities as a traffic reporter. It was perhaps his easiest job to date as exactly the same roads were gridlocked at the same time every day.
At 15 I had a plan. I knew what I wanted to do, just didn't know how to do it! I love music and talking so radio was the only option...
