Greg James fails to show up to his own Radio 1 breakfast show after Brits party

Matt Edmondson said he was ‘ticked off’ about being called in to help pick up the slack

Ellie Harrison
Wednesday 19 February 2020 12:09 GMT
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Greg James explains why he went missing after the Brit Awards

Radio 1 presenter Greg James failed to show up to his breakfast show on Wednesday morning (19 February), after a night of partying at the Brit Awards.

When his programme came on air at 6:30am, the presenter was nowhere to be seen, leaving his colleague Adele Roberts to take over straight after presenting her own show, which had started at 4am.

Roberts told listeners James was “a dirty little no-show”, and his wife Bella Mackie tweeted shrugging emojis with the words: “Husband didn’t come home last night.”

Opening James’ show, Roberts said: “Good morning everybody it’s Radio 1 Breakfast with Adele Roberts. I can’t actually believe this is happening. Greg James is a no-show, a dirty little no-show, has anyone seen him?”

Explaining how she had been following her colleagues' late-night antics on social media, she said: “I’ve been trying to keep an eye on all of our little Radio 1 chickens this morning. The last time I saw him was on Grace, who used to work on Radio 1 Breakfast, on her Instagram about six hours ago, around midnight.

"If you do spot him please do send him our way. I saw a flash of him with Yannis from Foals.”

At 8.30am, Roberts reassured listeners that James was “very much safe and sound and very much asleep”.

Presenters Matt Edmondson, Arielle Free and Jordan North all turned up to help out on hardly any sleep.

Greg James speaks to BBC Radio 1 about going missing

“I got back from holiday yesterday morning, didn’t sleep on the flight then went to the Brits and now I’m here,” said Edmondson. “I’m ticked off. I got a call from a boss... he said, ‘Adele’s here but she’s been on for hours and we kind of need someone to come in.’ I said, ‘Have you tried anyone else?’

“I then found our Jordan and Arielle here... but our boss said, ‘Please still come in, we’ve had to send Arielle home because she’s drunk and Jordan’s voice has gone.’”

See the full list of Brit Award winners here.

It has since been revealed that James' no-show was pre-planned, and the BBC has released a jokey tie-in podcast in which former Scotland Yard detective Peter Bleksley investigates the presenter's disappearance.

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