From Belly Flops to Blockbuster: Simon Mayo’s Resilient Return to Radio
Veteran broadcaster Simon Mayo likens his initial foray into presenting Drivetime on Greatest Hits Radio five years ago to a child learning to dive. “When they end up doing a belly flop, the key thing is to get them to go back and try again before they get scared of diving for ever. That is how it felt,” he recalls. This sentiment stems from a period of significant upheaval in his career, not long after departing the BBC, where he had spent decades in prominent roles, including the coveted Radio 1 Breakfast Show and afternoons on 5 Live, which famously birthed his enduring film review partnership with Mark Kermode.
Mayo’s eight-year tenure at the helm of Radio 2’s highly successful Drivetime programme culminated in a 2018 shake-up that saw him paired with Jo Whiley. This new format, however, proved to be a spectacular misfire with the show’s vast listenership, a situation Mayo candidly describes as “a bit like a belly flop.”
“It all finished in unpleasant circumstances,” he states, choosing his words carefully. “So when I was asked if I wanted to do Drivetime at Greatest Hits, I actually wasn’t sure at first. But the more I thought about it, the more exciting a prospect it became. I realised I was being given an opportunity to go back and try again. A chance to recreate the kind of show I knew I could do – and that I knew the audience wanted to hear.”
His move from the BBC to commercial rival Bauer Media, where he was initially tasked with launching Scala Radio (now Magic Classical), generated considerable buzz at the time. This transition occurred during what some perceived as a significant shift in British radio, with several well-loved BBC presenters making the leap, most notably Ken Bruce, who joined Greatest Hits for its mid-morning slot in 2023.
Mayo, now 67, steers clear of dwelling on past chapters. “I’m just happy to say that I consider myself extremely fortunate to have ended up in a position where I can carry on,” he asserts. “And I haven’t regretted it for a single moment.” This sentiment is easily understood. The Greatest Hits Drivetime show now commands an audience of over 2.5 million listeners, making it the UK’s most-listened-to commercial drivetime programme. Crucially, it has enabled him to resurrect beloved formats from his previous broadcasts.
The Enduring Appeal of “Confessions”
One such revived segment is “Confessions,” a long-running feature where listeners anonymously share their most audacious, embarrassing, or morally questionable admissions. Mayo, donning the mantle of “Father Simon,” then adjudicates these confessions.
At Radio 2, “Confessions” achieved such remarkable success that it spawned a podcast, a book, and even a television adaptation. Yet, Mayo suggests its impact wasn’t fully appreciated at the time. “They didn’t really know what they had,” he chuckles. “In the first few weeks it was the UK’s number one podcast, and I remember going into the control office, saying: ‘Hey, you’ve got a number one podcast.’ And he just went: ‘Oh.’”
He observes that today, such achievements would be widely celebrated. The personal triumph for Mayo lies in the fact that this segment, which he originally conceived, has been reimagined as a podcast titled “Simon Mayo’s Confessions.” This new iteration recently celebrated its 100th episode.
Mayo attributes the format’s lasting appeal to its uncanny resemblance to sitcom scenarios. “It’s not supposed to be serious or profound: there’s classic slapstick, cases of mistaken identity and everyday misdemeanours that we can all relate to, like lying to your children,” he explains. “And listeners want to give their verdict, because whatever the story is, people do tend to have a strong response to it.”
However, not all responses have been entirely positive. During its Radio 2 run, the segment occasionally attracted complaints, particularly when stories involved animals, such as a hamster launched via remote-controlled aircraft, or sensitive topics like a family mistaking their late uncle’s ashes for herbs.
“It is a fine line,” Mayo reflects, “between being entertaining, occasionally shocking and offending people. And some people are very easily offended. We never set out to upset, but it happens.” He appears unfazed by this. “While people carry on doing bad things,” he adds wryly, “I’ll carry on doing the show.”
A Multifaceted Media Career
Beyond his Drivetime duties, Mayo, who resides in north London with his ceramicist wife Hilary and their four grown children, maintains a remarkably full schedule. He co-hosts the “Books of the Year” podcast with Matt Williams, has authored several thrillers, and continues his three-decade-long collaboration with Mark Kermode through “Kermode & Mayo’s Take,” a twice-weekly film podcast featuring reviews and interviews.
“Take” has cultivated a particularly strong following among younger audiences. “If someone under the age of 30 comes up and says: ‘I love your show,’ chances are they are talking about the film show,” he notes. “There are a number of catchphrases and in-jokes they always quote.”
In a broadcasting landscape often fixated on younger demographics, this connection is undoubtedly gratifying. “That’s not something that I’ve ever concerned myself with,” Mayo states. “Particularly now at Greatest Hits, where we’re playing music from the 70s, 80s and 90s. We’ll entertain you if you like that music, but possibly not if you’re looking for something more modern.”
Roots in Radio
As someone born in the late 1950s, Mayo’s childhood was steeped in radio listening. His early years were marked by family moves, from the West Midlands to Worthing in West Sussex. His father was a headteacher, but it was his mother, a former BBC studio manager, who ignited his passion. “She always talked about her time there with great affection,” he says. “And, meanwhile, I fell in love with listening to Johnnie Walker on Radio 1.”
Initially, Mayo envisioned a behind-the-scenes role, following his mother’s footsteps as a studio manager. However, a failed hearing test rerouted his career path towards the microphone. After studying history and politics at Warwick University, where he gained experience in student radio, he worked in hospital and local radio in Nottingham before securing a Radio 1 evening slot in 1986.
“It was a completely different era,” he reflects. “There was far less competition. The BBC had a kind of cultural monopoly – there was Radio 1, Radio 2 and your local station. Now there are stations everywhere, podcasts everywhere, and everyone’s carrying their entire music collection in their pocket. It’s unrecognisable to when I started out.”
He vividly recalls the cultural shift: “I think it was a shock when I realised that none of my three kids had a radio,” he adds. “The only time they heard it was in the car. And I remember explaining to them that pop music had once been so rare that you could ring a phone number to hear a song played down the line.”
From Breakfast to Drivetime: A Career of Influence
Mayo’s journey continued through some of broadcasting’s most prestigious roles, beginning with the Radio 1 Breakfast Show, which he hosted for five years until 1993. “There was a huge amount of responsibility,” he says. “Although I think I would do the same show if I was broadcasting to 10 people or 10 million, you are always acutely aware that the more listeners you have, the more power your show has. Of course I always just want to do a show that matters, but the natural instinct is to want it to be as big and important as possible. Maybe that’s just megalomania.”
This high-stakes environment also fostered anxiety. “I was 28 when I joined Radio 1 and I already thought I was too old,” he laughs. “When you do the biggest show on the biggest station, it comes with a certain paranoia. There was a lot of jostling at Radio 1. It’s not that it was bitchy, it was all just very competitive because the jobs are so high-profile.”
In stark contrast, he describes the atmosphere at Greatest Hits as “chilled.” “I’m much more content now, because I’m at the other end of the career ladder,” he explains. “I can think: I’ll just carry on doing the show as long as they want me to. Maybe one day I will decide to stop, I don’t know – my father retired at 60, so I’m way behind.”
He pauses, a sense of wonder evident. “I’m just amazed I’m still going, to be quite honest. And it’s busy – I feel as though I rarely have a moment. To be incredibly old and people still wanting you to work so much? That is gratifying.”
Simon Mayo presents the ‘Drivetime’ show on Greatest Hits Radio on weekdays between 4pm and 7pm. ‘Simon Mayo’s Confessions’ and ‘Books of the Year podcasts’ are available from all major providers.
