Biographies

Presenter, Radio 1

Jo Whiley presents the weekday morning show on BBC Radio 1. She is one of BBC Radio 1's longest serving presenters, having joined the station in 1993.

A highly-respected radio and TV presenter, she is recognised by audiences and the industry alike as a champion of new and unsigned talent.

Jo has been presenting the morning show on Radio 1 since February 2001 – showcasing her passion for music by seeking out and playing new music and inviting top artists to perform in the most famous lounge in the country – the Live Lounge.

Guests performing original songs as well as spine-tingling covers have included The Foo Fighters and Beyonce. The Live Lounge also goes on tour, hosting gigs in the artists' own homes. Past bands featured include The Kaiser Chiefs, Snow Patrol, Girls Aloud and Razorlight.

Jo is one of the main DJs fronting the station's Big Weekend events and the network's mini-festivals throughout the UK.

She has also been a regular presenter of the BBC's TV coverage of major music festivals, including Glastonbury.

Jo joined Radio 1 in the spring of 1993 and, by September, she became a permanent co-presenter of The Evening Session with Steve Lamacq. With Steve she regularly fronted live music events including the annual Sound City festival, Glastonbury and Phoenix.

In February 1997, Jo took up residency in the daytime schedule, bringing her musical knowledge to a wider audience with The Lunchtime Social. Live guests and sessions were a regular feature of the show and included nearly every big name in music. Jo also conducted in-depth interviews with the biggest stars, including Madonna.

In 1998 Jo was named DJ of the Year at the Sony Radio Academy Awards.

In October 2007 she became a judge on the Channel 4 show MobileAct Unsigned and other TV credits include fronting her own late night music shows The Cut and The Jo Whiley Show on Channel 4. She also guest presented on Top Of The Pops (1995-98).

Jo's first major broadcasting job was as a presenter for WPFM, BBC Radio 4's then youth-culture-and-music show.

She soon moved into TV, initially on satellite, then to Channel 4 as a music booker for The Word, giving Britain its first TV taste of bands such as Nirvana, Faith No More, Hole, The Manic Street Preachers, Pulp, The Charlatans and Rage Against The Machine.