September 2, 2009

BBC Radio 1 breakfast DJs – in pictures

As Chris Moyles becomes the longest-serving Radio 1 breakfast host, we look back the DJs who have helmed the high-profile show

Radio 1 breakfast DJs: Tony Blackburn DJ balancing a single on his head — 'What do you mean it looks like I'm wearing something artificial on my head? Of course I am - it's a record!' Tony Blackburn, who hosted the Radio 1 breakfast show between 1967 and 1973, back in the days when he had a full head of dark hair. Today it's a bit greyer Photograph: Hulton Archive/Getty

Radio 1 breakfast DJs: Noel Edmonds DJ — 'So I take one of these vinyl things off, I talk for a bit while I fiddle about with this thing here - it's called a turntable - and I put another little bit of black vinyl on.' Noel Edmonds, who hosted the show between 1973 and 1978, explains the finer art of DJing Photograph: PA

Radio 1 breakfast DJs: Dave Lee Travis DJ — 'Call the producer! My phone's broken! I can't even get a fracking dial tone! It's telling the time okay, though.' Dave Lee Travis, sporting natty Radio 1 bomber jacket, with the essential breakfast DJ accessory - a beard. No, sorry, an alarm clock Photograph: Associated Newspapers/Rex Features

Radio 1 breakfast DJs: Dj Mike Read — Look closely into Mike Read's eyes and you can see the dawning realisation that he would once take part in an ITV reality show called I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!. He was first kicked out of the show in 2004, and released a single under the name 'Jungle Boys' with Neil Ruddock and Charlie Brocket. It wasn't playlisted by his former employer Photograph: Rex Features

Radio 1 breakfast DJs: Mike Smith — As Mike Smith ably demonstrates, the great thing about radio is you don't have to dress up for it. Smith - or 'Smithy' as he was imaginatively nicknamed - was Noel Edmonds's one-time sidekick on BBC1's The Late, Late Breakfast Show. He presented the breakfast show from 1986 to 1988 Photograph: Public Domain

Radio 1 breakfast DJs: Bros With Simon Mayo DJ — One of these people is not a pop star. But can you guess which? That's right, it's the chap on the left. No, of course not, it's the bloke in the middle, who looks only a little bit like the third member of Bros, Craig Logan. It's Simon Mayo! His hand gesture is only slightly reminiscent of the one he made when asked if he wanted to go to Salford with his current employer, BBC Radio 5 Live Photograph: Mark Baker/Getty Images

Radio 1 breakfast DJs: Mark Goodier DJ — Mark Goodier briefly took charge of the Radio 1 breakfast show hot seat, but the pain of maintaining this pose day in, day out played hell with his back and he had to step down two months later. What a relief. And not just for Goodier Photograph: Eugene Adebari/Rex Features

Radio 1 breakfast DJs: Steve Wright DJ — 'Oh, look, Mr Angry's just walked back in. Hello, Mr Angry!' Steve Wright was doing zoo radio when people thought a zoo had to have animals in it. But his afternoon show didn't work quite so well in the breakfast slot, so he went back to doing afternoons, this time on Radio 2, via Talk Radio. Gets complicated, this business Photograph: Carol Norman /Rex Features

Radio 1 breakfast DJs: Chris Evans DJ 1st First Day At Radio 1 — Some people keep their Bafta awards in the toilet. Not Chris Evans. He keeps them in the studio. Facing him. While he broadcasts to the nation. Honk your horn! Isn't Anthea Turner rubbish? Come on England! Here's the new single from Texas. Can I take Fridays off? Those were the sort of things he used to say Photograph: Rex Features

Radio 1 breakfast DJs: Mark Radcliffe With Marc Riley — 'We genuinely thought that after Chris people would love the fact that we were two down-to-earth blokes in Manchester,' remembered Mark Radcliffe, one half of short-lived Radio 1 breakfast pairing Mark and Lard. 'We were wrong. It turned out no one wanted that at all... It was like, "Christ, everyone hates us." We were sat in a little room thinking, "Oh God, we've got to do it all again tomorrow."' Photograph: Hayley Madden/Rex Features

Radio 1 breakfast DJs: Kevin Greening and Zoe Ball — Zoe Ball and Kevin Greening took over in 1997 after Mark and Lard had been in the job just eight months. Greening died in December 2007 on the eve of his 45th birthday Photograph: PA

Radio 1 breakfast DJs: Zoe Ball — The first female DJ to present the Radio 1 breakfast show, Zoe Ball was the personification of late 1990s ladette culture. So much so that it was not uncommon to see her wandering around clutching a bottle of champa ... there it is! She left in March 2000 to be succeeded by her good friend ... Photograph: Andrew Stuart/Observer

Radio 1 breakfast DJs: SHOWBIZ Cox2 — ... Sara Cox! Who, of course, was not a ladette at all. The very thought. The former presenter of the Girlie Show suffered an unfortunate on-air lapse when she said the Queen Mother 'smelled of wee'. Say what you like about Chris Moyles, but he'd never say that. Oh no Photograph: John Stillwell/PA

Radio 1 breakfast DJs: Chris Moyles — It's Paul Gambaccini's favourite DJ, Chris Moyles! Woo-hoo! Only kidding, Gambo, who is one of Moyles's most outspoken critics along with, occasionally, media regulator Ofcom. Space precludes detailed examination of complaints made against Moyles over the years. One thing we do know - on Monday, he will become the longest-serving Radio 1 breakfast DJ. Ever Photograph: BBC

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