With a twenty-five year affiliation with BBC Radio and extensive prime-time television experience, Jo Whiley helped to bring Nirvana to our teles and Arctic Monkeys and Amy Winehouse to our radios. Jo presented Top of The Pops, and along the way became a celebrated radio and television personality.
As part of a station shake-up, Jo Whiley became the first woman to present a primetime drivetime show in 20 years, when she took to the microphone alongside Simon Mayo before becoming a hit in the evening show slot.
Jo has earned her name in part due to her interviewing style, which she has used to interview some of the biggest names in entertainment in a conversational manner. She is known for introducing new and exciting acts to the general public while playing established hits from a blend of genres.
Born in Northampton, Jo undertook her university studies in Brighton and dabbled on BBC Radio Sussex before securing work as a presenter for WPFM, Radio 4’s youth culture and music show.
She took her talents to television and joined Channel 4 as a band booker for The Word.
Jo subsequently joined BBC Radio 1 in the spring of 1993 and in September she became the permanent co-presenter of The Evening Session with Steve Lamacq.
Soon after, her talents were acknowledged when she was crowned DJ of the Year at the 1998 Sony Radio Awards.
From February 2001 onwards Jo took charge of the new morning show, shifting to a 10am start. This allowed her more time to showcase her passion for music in a show featuring live guests and performances from the cream of the music crop.
Almost exactly a decade on Jo announced that after 17 years with BBC Radio One she would be moving to Radio 2 to present her own evening show which she started on the 4th of April that year.
Jo is also one of Britain’s most highly regarded media and television personalities. She has presented a new version of her Channel 4 show called The Cut and has fronted the BBC television coverage of the Mercury Awards. Her talent and unique style has earned her many plaudits throughout her career and she continues to go from strength to strength in the industry.
