Nick Grimshaw takes Radio 1 Breakfast Show reins

A “nervous and excited” Nick Grimshaw took over Radio 1's Breakfast Show this morning.

he 28-year-old DJ, who replaced Chris Moyles after the end of his eight-and-a-half year stint, welcomed listeners to a "brand new Breakfast Show" and predicted he would last in the job "just until the country uprises and I get thrown back to the night-time".

Grimshaw said he was "nervous and excited" but "desperate to get on with it" and kicked off his first show by playing Paris by Jay-Z and Kanye West.

He said there was no "message" behind his choice of first track apart from wanting to play "big pop songs which are good".

He played a radio edit of the famously foul-mouthed track and joked if he had played the full version it would have been "the world's shortest stint on the Radio 1 Breakfast Show - three-and-a-half minutes".

Grimshaw, who admits he struggles with early mornings, said he set two alarms to make sure he got up and told listeners that "I've literally wanted to do this job since I was 10 or 11".

He said he knew his father was proud of him for getting the job "because my mum said 'he's gone for a walk"' and revealed he had messages of support from stars including David Beckham and James Corden.

The show featured phone interviews with Doctor Who star Matt Smith and One Direction's Harry Styles - the first of five daily interviews with members of the boyband.

There was also a pre-recorded interview with Justin Bieber.

Grimshaw betrayed a few signs of nervousness, bringing in a track too early and accidentally talking over the news.

He revealed Moyles had sent a good luck card and a box of cakes and there was also a visit to the studio from "a gaggle" of Radio 1 DJs including Scott Mills and Fearne Cotton.

Grimshaw presented the show on his own, with fewer contributions from the studio team.

Station boss Ben Cooper has said he wants to move on from the "zoo" format of Moyles's show in which his production team played a large part and double the amount of music played.

Grimshaw, known for his posse of celebrity friends including Lily Allen, Alexa Chung, Miquita Oliver and Styles, was a surprise choice to many, with drivetime show host Greg James expected to be the next breakfast host.

The presenter, known to fans as "Grimmy", was brought up in Royton, Oldham, and took his first steps as a broadcaster in student radio while at Liverpool University.

The last figures available showed an audience of 7.1 million tuning into the show, well below rival Chris Evans on Radio 2.

Bosses will be hoping Grimshaw, 10 years younger than Moyles who left earlier this month, can bring in listeners from its target 15 to 29 target audience.

PA