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Chris Moyles, 2012

Chris Moyles

Chris Moyles is blah blah blah

Family and Personal Life

Chris Moyles was born in Leeds on February 22nd 1974, the youngest member of the Moyles family.

He has one older brother, Kieron, who works as a promotions executive in London and was born on June 8th. His dad Chris used to work for the post office, and is now retired. His mum Hannah Veronica (aka "VIP Vera"), is also retired, and used to work as a school assistant.

Chris’s parents still live together in Leeds.

Before Sophie, Chris dated ex children's TV presenter Ana Boulter. The pair met in March 1999, and eventually split up in December 2001, to much publicity. Prior to that Chris had a long relationship with Helen Legh, who he met while working for the GWR network. Helen is now the breakfast DJ on Sundays for BBC Three Counties Radio.

Career

General information to go here about his career, including mentioning that he does more than just Radio, things like Quiz Night on Ch 4 etc.

The Early Days

Chris began his radio career at an early age, working for a hospital radio station in Wakefield - located in the top of a very large building in a mental unit! He also worked at the weekends on Radio Top Shop, a fact that has been mentioned lots on the show throughout the years.

After leaving school with five GCSEs at the age of 16, Chris joined Aire FM in Leeds (now Radio Aire), initially making cups of tea for Carol Vorderman. He then moved abroad at the age of 18 to present on the world famous Radio Luxembourg (where he used the name Chris Holmes, Holmes being his mothers maiden name).

After nine months the station was shut down, so Chris went back to Yorkshire and worked for The Pulse in Bradford, until he was fired eleven months later. Work at other radio stations up and down the country followed - including Signal Radio in Stoke, GWR in Bristol, Northants FM, Chiltern Radio in Dunstable and Horizon FM in Milton Keynes.

In 1996 Chris secured a move to London station Capital FM, where he presented his show The Late Bit each weekend. Without any co-presenters or sidekicks, Chris’s unique style was more obviously seen, and he gained a cult following for his late night antics. He would regularly impersonate his fellow DJ’s, cut off and abuse any dull callers, and invite women listeners into the studio. (Including the time he painted a naked listeners breasts, live on air).

His catalogue of features included Throwing CD’s at the Studio Clock, I don’t want to go to work tomorrow and (the amazing) True or False.

Chris was also credited with bringing Britpop music to Capital, in particular Oasis, which he claims Alan McGee still loves him for.

Audio clips from Chris’s local radio career can be found in the Antique Moyles section of our Sound Vault.

By the beginning of 1997, people were beginning to talk - and Chris was voted as one of the “Faces for '97” by Sky Magazine. After a year at Capital, the opposition came calling. Kiss 100, London's dance station, wanted him to present their breakfast show, but Chris declined the offer.

Radio One (1997 - Present)

Chris' no-holds barred approach eventually brought him to the attention of Radio One bosses Jeff Smith and Andy Parfitt. After a drunken night out with (then) controller Matthew Bannister, Chris was persuaded to join the station. He did so on Monday 28th July 1997 and styled himself as ”The Saviour of Early Morning Radio”.

At the age of 23, he also became Radio One’s second youngest DJ ever. The only one younger was Noel Edmonds.

The Early Bit (1997 - 1998)

Main article: The Early Bit

Chris’s first show on Radio One was The Early Bit, which went out Monday - Friday from 4-7am.

Joined at first by producer Simon Barnett and broadcast assistant Jude Adam, Chris soon developed a friendship with fellow overnight host Clive Warren, who made regular appearances on the show. As too did Dave Vitty, at the time a technical operative, working as the London based button puncher on the Mark and Lard Breakfast Show.

Soon Dave, christened “Comedy Dave” because he er, wasn’t very funny, joined the show alongside new producer, Ben Cooper.

The show added 200,000 listeners before the end of 1997, boosting Chris’s listenership to over a million. He was handed the additional 6-9am Saturday Breakfast Show as a result.

This is the show on which Moyles first worked with Simon Hollis (aka Melinda), who’d later go on to work on the afternoon show.

TODO: Condense the main 'Early Bit' article into a few paragraphs for this article

The Saturday Show (1998 - 2001)

Main article: The Saturday Show

The Saturday version of Chris’s show used to be a great way to start the weekend proper.

Still mentioned lots on air to this day, it ran for over three and a half years, and was often performed under a haze of booze from the night before. It was also the show on which Moyles and Dave first worked with their current producer, Rachel Jones.

On April 25th 1998 Chris was promoted from his previous 6-9am Saturday slot, as Radio One revamped their weekend schedules. He was given the new 10am-1pm show, produced by Richard Murdoch - and less than ably assisted by “Baldie” Greg Young. For more on Richard and Greg, check out our past team members page.

The show also often contained slightly bizarre competitions, the most famous probably being “Hello, I'm Listening”. This involved Chris phoning up someone, who would then have to answer with “Hello, I'm Listening” (like Frasier Crane). There would also be variations of this, with different phrases. Sometimes callers would be from the phonebooks of the team, or from emails into the show.

Afternoons (1998 - 2003)

Main article: Afternoon Show

On Monday 12th October 1998, Chris Moyles was allowed out to play in daylight. Given a new, lucrative two year contract - partly to prevent Chris Evans from poaching him to go to Virgin Radio - Chris was promoted to front the late afternoon show (originally called The Afternoon Bit), from 4 - 5.45pm.

Joined initially by Dave and Ben, the slot became home to Chris for over half a decade, and it was in the afternoons that he really established himself as a household name.

Hear the first minute of the afternoon show here.

TODO: Condense the main 'Afternoon Show' article into a nice few paragraphs for this article

The Breakfast Show (2004 - 2012)

Main article: The Chris Moyles Show

On Monday January 5th 2004 at 7am, the breakfast radio revolution began.

Chris’s first show kicked off with this simply unforgettable five minute opener, put together by imaging company Music4 (the company who make all Chris’s jingles). Comedy Dave called it ”quietly understated”, and it undoubtedly ranks up there as one of the shows’ greatest ever moments.

TODO: Condense the main CMS article into a handy bitesize piece for this article

Future

Chris is contracted to Radio 1 until 2014... Or is he? I'm not sure about whether this section is needed but someone who knows a bit more could do with updating this!

TV / Film Work

Aside from Chris’s radio work through the years, he has also branched out into television - (although it must be said) not to the same degree of success.

The Chris Moyles Show (1998)

Chris’s first TV work came in 1998, when he was given his own weekly show on the now-defunct UK satellite and cable channel UK Play. The Chris Moyles Show (see pic left) featured both Chris and Comedy Dave presenting a rather odd but amusing half hour mix of music videos, features and celebrity guests.

Items on the programme included Viewers Letters, Fake Interviews, Goodbye Song and The Bubble Rapper. The show ran for two series’, and you can view nine full episodes in our Video Vault, including the infamous “carrots” episode - where Dave inserted carrots up his nostrils.

In 1999 Chris joined forces with MTV star Donna Air to host a revival of the ground-breaking music show The Tube. The duo presented a one-off extravaganza on Saturday 20th November for Sky One, beamed live from The Tube's original home, the Tyne Tees studio in Newcastle.

In June 2001, Chris was also a one off guest presenter on Channel 4’s The Big Breakfast, joining co host Richard Bacon.

He also appeared several times on the BBC’s former music show Top Of The Pops - first with Jamie Theakston at the TOTP Awards, and then later in 2004/2005 (on one occasion with the entire radio show team).

Live With Chris Moyles (2002)

Produced by former Radio One DJ Chris Evans and his UMTV production company, the show was commissioned for a 13 week run, starting in September, airing five nights a week at 7pm.

It was seen as the follow up to TFI Friday and Chris’s big chance to make a name for himself on TV. Broadcasting live from a pub in North London, Chris would host the show from behind the bar, with features such as Push The Pint and Off The Top Of My Head. He was determined to make his new project a big success, despite the clash with his radio work.

Unfortunately, things didn’t quite go according to plan. Ten minutes into the first show, a caller made a four letter outburst live on the air, and it was practically downhill from there. Viewing figures dropped as low as 200,000 and Chris eventually departed by “mutual consent” in January 2003.

He was replaced for the second series by XFM DJ Christian O’Connell. You can see a few clips from the programme in the chrismoyles.net Video Vault here, and check our TV Reviews Archive to read more.

Chris Moyles Quiz Night (2009 - 2012)

Blurb about CMQN to go here

Miscellaneous TV Work

His other TV credits include his infamous appearance on Never Mind the Buzzcocks (1998), plus Showbiz Weekly (1998), Casting Couch (1999), A Question of Pop (2000), The 100 Greatest Kids TV Shows (2001), I Love the 1990's (2001), The Springer Show (2001), Fame Academy (2002), Patrick Kielty .. Almost Live (2002), Stupid Punts (2002, 2003), This Is Your Life - David Dickinson (2003), Bo Selecta (2003), Later with Jools Holland (2003), Big Brothers Little Brother (2003, 2004, 2005), BBC FA Cup MOTD (2004), Reverse-A-Word (2004), Children In Need (2005) and Comic Relief: Red Nose Night Live (2005).

Chris was also the voice behind The Villa on Sky One, and appeared in the video for Avid Merrion’s 2003 single Proper Crimbo.

He has featured in two BBC TV advertising campaigns for his Radio One Breakfast Show, plus one for BBC Sport.

In May/June 2006 Moyles appeared on a celebrity version of ITV’s music talent competition X-Factor, entitled X Factor: Battle Of The Stars.

Under the stewardship of Louis Walsh, Chris reached the semi finals, losing out to Matt Stevens and (eventual winner) Lucy Benjamin.

Over the course of seven consecutive nights, Chris wowed the crowds with his performances of What A Wonderful World, Burning Love and Ain’t That A Kick In The Head (click the links for audio).

Depending upon when you are reading this, Chris’s upcoming/most recent TV work includes an appearance with his family on ITV1’s newly revamped Family Fortunes show - plus a brief role in BBC1’s hotel drama Hotel Babylon.

Since moving to the Breakfast Show, Chris has also become a “moviestar” - featuring in three blockbuster films. Not visually, but as a radio DJ. The films in question are 2004’s Wimbledon (clip here), and 2005’s Robots and War of the Worlds.

Theatre

Jesus Christ Superstar

Blah blah blah

Trivia

• Chris was nearly named Rory Moyles by his mum

• The first record on his afternoon show was "Where's The Love" by Hanson, played on 12/10/98

• His last record on the afternoon show was "My Way" by Sid Vicious, played on 05/12/03

• Chris began the Breakfast show by playing 'Flowers In The Rain', by The Move. This was also the first record played on Radio 1 in 1967.

• The American voiceovers heard between songs on Chris's show are done by Paul Turner. Paul has worked on a selection of American radio stations/shows through the years, including Howard Stern and K-ROCK in New York. He is currently the image voice for CNN and Fox Major League Baseball in the States, and began recording stuff for Moyles when he worked in local radio

• Chris's producer on Capital FM was Daryl Denham, who has subsequently presented for (amongst other stations) Hallam FM, Century FM and Virgin Radio

• Before he joined Radio One, Chris used to post regularly to Usenet radio newsgroups (he's a closet geek!). You can view a collection of Chris's postings here: https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups=#!activity/alt.radio.uk/6l1Y2qaTHTQJ

• At the Brits in 2000, the band 5ive won the award for Best Pop Act. In his acceptance speech, band member Jason "J" Brown promised to find Moyles and insert their award where the sun doesn't shine (clip here)

• Chris is managed by Vivienne Clore, a talent agent specialising in comedy and multi-skilled presenters. He has been with Vivienne since summer 2000, and was previously managed by ex Radio One DJ Bruno Brookes

• Chris's face appears on a character in 24: The Video Game - see the picture here

• On the 6th August 2003, he was involved in a car crash alongside Comedy Dave. Both escaped unhurt

• On June 14th 2004, Chris appeared in a cameo role on Radio 4 soap The Archers

• In his spare time, he likes to play on the XBox

• In 2005 it was leaked to The Sun newspaper that Chris is on a contract with Radio One worth '630,000 per year, more than double the second-highest earner on the station

• His autobiography, The Gospel According to Chris Moyles: The Story of a Man and His Mouth is to be published by Ebury Press on October 5th 2006

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