Hello everyone!
So 2020 was a weird year. COVID-19 took over, put the UK (and the world) in lockdown and cancelled the one thing that I love doing: going to concerts (ok I had not planned to see any concerts this year...yep shocking...but that doesn't mean I'm wasn't disappointed. I mean Glastonbury was cancelled...)
However, if there is one thing that I think everyone (OK..not everyone but most people my age) has been happy about is the joy of Radio 1. Yep, somehow admist the mayhem of 2020, Radio 1 has managed to be the joyous chaos that I think everyone has needed to get through this crazy year.
Radio 1 is a great radio station in general. Whether it is the joy of listening to Greg James passing a pasty around the country, (a listener said they had never had one so one got delivered to her) and playing hide and seek with Nick Grimshaw, Scott Mills and Chris Stark providing a comedic guide to places around the UK (calling it a Stark Guide to Britain) or Clara Amfo providing Live music in the form of the Live Lounge, Radio 1 provides the music and entertainment that everyone needs in their life.
In 2020, this music and entertainment has been needed more than ever. Yes, we couldn't go to concerts or the theatre, or meet with your friends face to face, but we still had musicians releasing music (and comedians in the form of Matt Lucas singing about a baked potato) and radio still carried on being produced.
Of course, Radio 1 itself had to adapt to new changes. For example, some of the DJs, when there were two of them like Scott and Chris, had to work from home and of course, you can imagine that not many people would be around in the studio with them, such as producers etc. However, Radio 1 still maintained its wonderful craziness that fellow listeners and I know and love.
There have been many highlights during this year, whether that be celebrities, from Jade Thirlwall, to Niall Horan, coming to do DJ sets on Scott Mills and Chris Stark's show to Greg James having listener Ava coming on to do the Sadvent Calendar, where each day they would play a standout moment from The Breakfast Show with Greg James or just funny moments in general. We even had Annie Mac home school the nation (and Nick Grimshaw) in dance and rave music. Scott and Chris also joined in with the quiz trend, with their own, in the form of the Don't Look it Up quiz, led by producer Will aka. "Oh hi Will." There was even a virtual Radio 1's Big Weekend (the original was cancelled due to COVID), featuring classic Big Weekend performances, as well as exclusive new performances, done by music artists from their homes.
However, I think the big highlight for every Radio 1 listener was when a campaign was developed, thanks to a UK listener who suggested that Greg James should get someone from every country in the world to shout "Up Yours Corona!" after another listener from Germany had shouted this due to their plans being ruined (let's face it who hasn't had their plans disrupted by Coronavirus...). After this, Greg, his fellow Radio 1 DJs, including Mollie King, Matt Edmondson and Dev, took it upon themselves to gather as many worldwide listeners, from Switzerland to lesser known countries such as Uzbekistan and Tuvalu, to shout "Up Yours Corona" from 193 countries. The most impressive bit was that Radio 1 managed to do this all in a week.
You don't believe me that this happened? Just take a look at this video...
It wasn't just on the radio where the DJs provided us with some much needed joy during this time. It was later revealed that Clara Amfo was doing Strictly Come Dancing (known as Dancing With the Stars in other countries), and Jordan North was going to do the UK version of I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, (in a Welsh Castle instead of the Australian jungle because yep...you guessed it...COVID). Us British love the glitz and glamour of Strictly and celebrities being face to face with their worst fears anyway, regardless of whether there is a pandemic or not, right?
So, with that being said, thank you Radio 1 for providing us the entertainment and stupid nonsense that everyone has needed in 2020. Whilst we are still in lockdown in 2021, we can all rest assure that Radio 1 will still provide the much needed (fun) chaos that it is renowned for.
Stay safe everyone.
Em x
