BBC Radio 1 DJ Greg James has shocked some fans with an announcement on the show’s future, though quickly clarified that it was a prank.
The broadcaster has presented the station’s breakfast show since 2018, with the star returning to the airwaves today (January 6) after a break over the festive period.
This didn’t stop him having a little bit of fun beforehand, however – as he jokingly announced his ‘departure’ from the station by parodying Neil Young’s U-turn regarding the 2025 Glastonbury Festival.
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“The R1 Breakfast show team and I were looking forward to starting another year of the show and delivering a load of stupid stuff to get you through the early hours, it’s one of my all time favourite gigs,” began James in his prank post, which was shared on Instagram.
In a nod to the Neil Young Glastonbury situation, he continued: “We were told that the BBC was now a partner and wanted us to do a lot of things in a way we were not interested in. It seems Radio 1 is now under corporate control and is not the way I remember it being. Thanks for listening [over] the last few years!
“We will not be able to continue our work to mess around with the biggest stars in the world and celebrate our amazing listeners, like Owen who accidentally smashed 10,000 eggs, or Alice who flew to Paris to try and get off with some Olympians in the summer.
“This also means we’ll no longer be conducting funerals for any more ducks. Radio 1 is a corporate turn-off, and not for me like it used to be. Hope to see you on one of my many podcasts instead.”
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On his second slide, James wrote: “Due to an error in the information received, I had decided not to do the breakfast show, which I have always loved.
“Happily, the radio show is now back on my itinerary and we look forward to being there when you need some fun in the morning! Hope to see you there!”
The prank seemed to work on some fans and followers, however, with one user remarking in the comment section: “I have never been more confused????” while No Balls: The Cricket Podcast co-host Alex Hartley wrote: “How to confuse the nation 101.”
“WHAT IN THE JESUS CHRIST ARE YOU PLAYING AT,” added James’ Radio 1 colleague Katie Thistleton.
James was referencing a statement released on January 2 in which Young said he and the Chrome Hearts would not be headlining Glastonbury, claiming that the BBC “was now a partner in Glastonbury and wanted us to do a lot of things we were not interested in”.
However, the following day, the musician issued another statement saying: “Due to an error in the information received, I had decided to not play the Glastonbury Festival, which I always have loved.
“Happily, the festival is now back on our itinerary and we look forward to playing. Hope to see you there!”
Continuing his post by sharing a few photos from his Christmas break, James clarified the prank by saying he was “buzzing” to be back on air.
Along with photos from his holidays, James’ post also featured numerous screengrabs from his festive viewing (including the new Wallace & Gromit movie), and a screenshot of a WhatsApp message he sent to the Radio 1 account reading: “Hey guys sounding great. Keep the tunes coming! Greg, in the bath x.”
On the last slide, he wrote: “Looking forward to management’s reaction to a Neil Young Glastonbury joke. I might have inadvertently ruined my first day back. Made me laugh though so that’s good at least.”
Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media. Â His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.
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