Before her radio career began, Gemma Cairney was a stylist for many pop artists and bands. She was soon scouted for the Channel 4 radio show 4radio, and before long found herself co-presenting Big Brother’s Big Ears. The show brought her further attention and the BBC stood up to take notice of her natural talent for engaging audiences. They also saw her as a positive role model and influencer for people to look up to. This took her to BBC 1Xtra where she joined famous DJ Trevor Nelson as a Breakfast Show host. After a couple of years on the show, she was given a solo show on the same channel. She soon became the presenter of The Weekend Breakfast Show for BBC Radio 1.
Known for her high energy and her infectious personality, the star packs her shows full of humour, fun, games and the most innovative sounds from the pop sphere. For a decade, Gemma Cairney has presented BBC’s coverage of mega festival, Glastonbury - one of the most highly anticipated events of the British television calendar. It is her playful presenting style that has earned her plaudits and host positions at the most popular events worldwide.
The cultured presenter became known for her ability to bring light to more serious topics and become the host of The Surgery, a show aimed at educating and prompting discussion on topics that didn’t always see the light of day; mental health, sexual health and identity being among the topics discussed. This opened doors for her to present radio documentaries on similar themes, and she presented ’Amazing Grace’ and ’What the F: the Story of Feminism’ among other innovative projects.
She also starred in a punk musical about depression called 'My Beautiful Black Dog', which was performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2015. Her books, ‘Open: A Toolkit for How Magic and Messed Up Life Can Be’ and ‘Open Your Heart: Learn to Love Your Life and Love Yourself’ became popular for their truth and insight. A wonderful performer and radio DJ for hire, Gemma has won countless awards for her efforts in radio. She took the Rose D’or Award for ’Best Music Programme’ at the New York Festival for her ‘Amazing Grace’ show on BBC Radio 6 Music, and with many more accolades following since.
