Broadcaster Ed James chats to the Express & Star about his new BBC WM show during his visit to Wolverhampton.

Express & Star

Transcript

00:00Well, we're here in a not-sunny-so-sunny Wolverhampton city centre.

00:04Not so, it's freezing!

00:05It is freezing, hence we've come into a cafe to do this chat with Ed James.

00:12Hello.

00:12About to start a brand new show broadcasting, not only to this city, the whole region on Radio WM.

00:20Now, we've been talking off camera, you've done 25 years in the West Midlands radio.

00:25And I'm still 30.

00:26That's when you're supposed to go, yeah, you look about 30.

00:31Well, I was going to say, older listeners will remember when you broadcast from Techno Road on the iconic Beacon Radio.

00:38And I know you've got good memories of that.

00:41Just talk a little bit about that.

00:43Yeah, so that was early on in my career, really.

00:46So I did the breakfast show with a lady called Helen on Beacon in Wolverhampton.

00:51And I think that's where my love affair with the West Midlands started.

00:56Because Wolverhampton is a great place.

00:58And I always talk about the people.

01:00Because when you do a radio show, the audience is the most important thing.

01:05Because I think the reason I've been able to stay on the radio so long is because it's not about me.

01:11I mean, my stories are all boring.

01:13And everyone's heard them a hundred times.

01:14But what makes a radio show great is the audience.

01:18And when the audience texts in and calls up, and I think round here and Wolves especially, people just want to chat.

01:26People want to get involved and tell stories.

01:29Have some fun.

01:30Take the mick out of themselves.

01:32Take the mick out of other people.

01:33Have a bit of banter.

01:34And that's what a radio show is all about.

01:37And that's when I fell in love with this area, I think.

01:40Because I'm not originally from here.

01:41I'm originally from Wales.

01:44But I feel like the West Midlands is absolutely home.

01:46And Wolves has got a massive part to play in that.

01:49So I'm just delighted to still be on the radio in what I genuinely think is the best region in the world.

01:56And that's because of the people.

01:57The people make a place.

01:59And the people here are brilliant.

02:01Well, you've been meeting some of your older listeners, if you like.

02:04Yes.

02:04I've been with you over that 20-year period on this tour.

02:08And they've come into the studio as well.

02:09I love that you're calling it a tour.

02:11Like I'm Ed Sheeran.

02:13Yeah.

02:14Yeah.

02:15But then after Beacon, you did over 20 years on Heart.

02:2123 years on Heart, yeah.

02:23Breakfast.

02:24Yeah, the breakfast show.

02:24Then on to Drive.

02:26Yeah.

02:26You must have some good memories of those days as well.

02:29Yeah.

02:30Just, yeah.

02:31It was a, just, I just feel really fortunate to still be doing what I think is the best job in the world.

02:39Heart was great.

02:39Really, really enjoyed it.

02:40Again, the stories I remember are the ones where people phone up and they get involved and they tell you stories.

02:47So that, that, that was amazing.

02:48But we were fortunate enough to do some really incredible things.

02:50And, and what I think I'm excited to do on the new show is make a difference.

02:55So the things I remember on Heart where, where just, they strike a chord with the, the moments that literally change people's lives.

03:03So we gave a house away on Heart.

03:06I remember that being a brilliant thing to do.

03:08But I think my favorite memory of all the Heart shows was when we took kids, that was a glass that's just been smashed downstairs.

03:17We took kids to meet Father Christmas in Lapland.

03:20And it was kids who had a rough year for whatever reason.

03:22And they lost a bit of their childhood.

03:25And every year, for about five years, we took them from the airport in Brum.

03:30We flew them over to Lapland.

03:32And you saw them be children again and get the chance to, to feel what it's like to be a kid again.

03:38And they saw snow.

03:39We went on a husky ride.

03:40We met Father Christmas.

03:42And the chance to do that, that you'll remember forever and they'll remember forever.

03:47That's when it's special.

03:48So that's, that's what I remember about Heart.

03:50And that's what I want to do more of on the new show as well.

03:53Yeah.

03:53I mean, you mentioned Helen at Beacon.

03:55Yeah.

03:55And you've had radio partners for quite a long.

03:58How very dare you.

04:00Yeah, they have.

04:01Are you going to be fairly going solo on the new show?

04:04Yeah.

04:05Which is, again, it's, it's an exciting opportunity because I've not done that.

04:09I've worked with some amazing people from Gemma to Sarah Jane to Rachel to Helen.

04:15So I've had some great people and I'm still friends with every single one of them.

04:19But the new show is a little different in that it's, it's, it's me, but it's not me.

04:24So I'm kind of the ringleader, if you like.

04:29But it's, it genuinely is not my show.

04:31It's, it's, it's our show.

04:33And it's the audience.

04:35The audience's job is to play a part.

04:38So I want lots of callers on.

04:40I want lots of stories on.

04:41I want, I want interaction.

04:43There'll be a lot of guests on as well.

04:44So it won't just be me speaking for four hours.

04:48It'll be me having a chat to people from the well-known faces in the region, from the celebrities

04:55that come to the region, to the people that are making a difference and doing amazing things

04:59to anyone who's got a story.

05:02So, so it'll be me, but me having a chat to people.

05:05That's what the new show will be.

05:07And that's, that's what I've wanted to do for a long time.

05:09I'm really excited to get cracking.

05:10Yeah.

05:11And I guess you're going to bring a lot of the old listeners with you.

05:14I hope so.

05:15And obviously get some new, new ones as well.

05:19Yeah.

05:19And are you going to get out and about?

05:21Yes.

05:22Get reporters out and about as well?

05:23That's the thing.

05:24I mean, so Radio WM is, is pretty much the only place.

05:30It's your only voice now in terms of what's happening in the region and what's happening

05:34where we live.

05:35And I think community is so important and where we live is so important, who we live

05:40near, who we live with, who we, who we meet out and about is so important.

05:44I think we all learned that in the lockdowns.

05:47I think, I think that was a defining moment, really.

05:49I think that's when we realized, yeah, okay, the celebrity stuff is important, but actually

05:55probably what's more important is what's happening where you live, what's happening in

05:59your area.

06:00And, you know, that kind of bound us together, I think, that time where we were outside and

06:05we clapped for, for the carers we cared about who lived next door.

06:09A lot of people pre-lockdown didn't know who lived next door.

06:14That was a bit of a change we went through.

06:16And I think we're still there in terms, and it's a great thing that we're still there.

06:20It's about community.

06:21It's about friendships.

06:22It's about people.

06:23And actually, that's what we've got a chance to celebrate here.

06:27And finally, all your experience on radio, TV, everywhere else in the West Midlands, will

06:32there be any nerves next Tuesday when you start?

06:35Absolutely.

06:36That's a good thing, right?

06:37I think so.

06:38I've always, I've always believed that nerves and excitement are the same thing because,

06:42because the feeling when you're nervous is the same feeling when you're excited.

06:47And I think if there's some nerves, which there absolutely is, it means you care about it.

06:51I think if there weren't any nerves, it would kind of mean that you were just really chilled

06:56out and relaxed and it wasn't important.

06:59This is important.

07:00And I want to do a really good job.

07:03So there is some nerves.

07:05There's more excitement.

07:06There's more, I just can't wait to get going now in terms of, I've been at the BBC for four

07:11weeks.

07:11We've done planning.

07:12We've done meetings.

07:13We've done, you know, little bits of pre-records, which we can drop in for the first few weeks.

07:20I just want to get going now.

07:22So you're not going to just throw it all together then, just like that?

07:25I think I will in a few weeks, but we've planned the first few weeks quite well.

07:31Yeah, well, we certainly wish you all the best.

07:33And if the weather holds, or well, it doesn't hold, gets better, you're going to go out and

07:36meet the Wolverhampton public.

07:38That's the plan today.

07:39That's the plan today.

07:40Let's have our coffees first.

07:40Let's do that.

07:41Cheers.

07:42Cheers, Ed.

07:42Thanks very much.

07:42Cheers.

07:43Cheers with the coffees and teas.

07:44Cheers.

07:45Cheers.

07:46Cheers.

07:47Cheers.

07:48Cheers.

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