Scathing reaction to Radio 1's schedule overhaul

BBC Radio 1 have announced an overhaul of their line-up that will see weekend coverage start on Fridays.

Hosts Nick Grimshaw, Greg James and Clara Amfo will host one less show a week as a result, with a variety of new hosts dropping in to the Friday slot.

Reaction to the shift in schedule has been negative on social media.

The Saturdays singer earns weekend slot

The new schedule will come into effect this June with Dev and Alice Levine presenting the breakfast show (06:30-10am) from Friday to Sunday.

Host Matt Edmondson will team up with former member of The Saturdays Mollie King to host a show from 1pm to 4pm.

Speaking to BBC, King revealed her excitement at earning a permanent slot on the radio station.

"I've grown up listening to Radio 1 and I can't wait to be one of the team.

"This is an absolute dream for me! The only person more excited than me is my mum - who is delighted I finally have a proper job."

Veteran Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills will now take over from Greg James as the presenter of the Friday show, and admitted he was "beyond excited".

Maya Jama will complete the new Friday schedule with a 'Greatest Hits' slot from 10am to 1pm.

'The feel-good factor a day early'

The move comes as Radio 1 listening figures approach 10 million viewers a week.

Breakfast show host Nick Grimshaw, who has struggled to bring in strong audiences, has also seen a surge in followers, with 800,000 more listeners tuning into his show in the final quarter of 2017

Controller of BBC Radio 1, Ben Cooper, revealed the motives behind the three-day weekend, despite the rise in figures.

Nick Grimshaw has recently seen an upturn in listeners (Photo: BBC)

"The weekend will start here at Radio 1 on a Friday morning giving our young audience that feel-good factor a day early.

"It's our job at Radio 1 to reinvent the way young people listen to the radio, to disrupt traditional thinking and to look for new ways in which to grow audiences."

Negative reaction

Reaction to the radical shift has been negative on social media, with many pointing out that most listeners will be working on the Friday.

Why would you do this!? Weekends don't start early for everyone else, as much as they might want it! I love the week stuff :( Leave the weekend stuff to one extra!

— Annabelle Simons (@BelleSimons) April 10, 2018

How can the weekend start Friday, which for most of us is a work day ?

— Duncan Baldwin (@DuncanBaldwin) April 10, 2018

Others criticised the quality of the new lineup.

Well, that's friday radio ruined, cheers for that. What a downer at the end of the week! Matt Edmonson & Maya Jamma are by far the most annoying DJs. Gonna have to find a different station to tune into on fridays 👎

— Miss Fortune (@MissFortuneUK) April 10, 2018

Weekend DJs are on the weekend for a reason because no one listens to the radio 📻. Going to backfire massively

— Will (@rachandwill) April 10, 2018

So, this means no move for @MattEdmondson then? I’m yet to hear anyone refer to him as their “favourite” anything...

— Mark Angel (@MarkAngelv2) April 10, 2018

Tweeter Jessica Edwards suggested the Firday lineup was "dire".

Scott Mills getting the Chart Show is wonderful, but the rest of the new Friday lineup on Radio 1 is dire! No weekends don’t start on Fridays mornings !!!

— Jessica Edwards (@Jessie_LaurenE) April 10, 2018

Another tweeter revealed they were cynical about the move.

So have Radio 1 basically invented a way to pay all their highest-paid DJs 20% less?

— Peter Robinson (@Popjustice) April 10, 2018

While one user described the switch as "a bad, bad move".

I'm sorry but the weekend DJs aren't the greatest, 1 of them recently played the Skream remix of LaRoux and stopped the track before the breakdown.🤨 Not to mention the cringe inducing filler chat. This is a bad, bad move. Fridays will be #1Xtra or #BBCRadio2 for me from now on.

— Lloyd Morgan-Moore (@Lloydm_85) April 11, 2018

@darzmusic, however, saw the wisdom in the move to a three-day weekend...

Radio 1 ahead of the game here, can the rest of the country now have a 3 day weekly weekend please? ✌️

— Darz (@darzmusic) April 10, 2018