25 Facts About Simon Mayo

Simon Andrew Hicks Mayo was born on 21 September 1958 and is an English radio presenter and author who worked for BBC Radio from 1982 until 2022.

Since March 2021, Simon Mayo Drivetime has returned on Greatest Hits Radio.

Simon Mayo's father was a headteacher, and his mother, who had worked as a BBC studio manager in the 1950s, taught for a time.

Simon Mayo's father was the headmaster of the Junior School section of Royal Russell School, Croydon, in the late 1960s, which the actor Martin Clunes attended at that time.

Simon Mayo graduated from the University of Warwick in 1981, with a degree in history and politics.

Simon Mayo joined BBC Radio 1 in 1986, presenting a two-hour Saturday evening show from 7:30pm to 9:30pm.

Simon Mayo formally gave up the breakfast show in 1993, though he had been on an extended period of paternity leave when the announcement was made.

Simon Mayo took over the station's mid-morning slot on 25 October 1993, where he remained until February 2001.

In January 1997, Simon Mayo made a brief return to the breakfast show for three weeks after Chris Evans was dismissed, but both Simon Mayo and Radio 1 ruled out the possibilities of a permanent return to the programme.

In 1999 Simon Mayo broke a world record by broadcasting for 37 hours in aid of that year's Comic Relief.

Simon Mayo remained on the mid-morning slot until he left Radio 1 in 2001, seeing breakfast show presenters Mark Goodier, Steve Wright, Chris Evans, Mark and Lard, Kevin Greening, Zoe Ball, and Sara Cox, come and go from the slot.

In May 2001, after 15 years of broadcasting with Radio 1, Simon Mayo moved on to another national BBC station, BBC Radio 5 Live, to present an afternoon programme.

Simon Mayo began broadcasting every weekday from 1pm to 4pm, where he remained until 18 December 2009.

From April 2007 to April 2008 Simon Mayo took over the Radio 2 Music Club every Monday night from 11:30pm to 12:30am.

In May 2011, Simon Mayo won a Sony Award for "Best Music Show" for his work and that of his team on the Radio 2 drive time slot.

On 21 December 2018, Simon Mayo presented his last show on BBC Radio 2, it being an All-Request Friday, which featured his jingles previously used on his drivetime show.

On 4 March 2019 at 10am, Simon Mayo presented the launch of a new classical music digital radio station, Scala Radio, for which he was one of the lead presenters.

Simon Mayo presented a daily mid-morning show for two years, until starting work for Greatest Hits Radio; he continued to present his Essential Albums show for Scala on Saturdays until May 2023.

Simon Mayo then presented a two-hour show on Sunday mornings, which continues after Scala was rebranded as Magic Classical in September 2024.

Simon Mayo presented Act Your Age, a panel game for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast on 27 November 2008.

In January 2024 Simon Mayo was the guest on the Radio 4 programme Great Lives; his choice was Alan Freeman.

Simon Mayo hosted a revival of the classic quiz show Blockbusters, which began airing on Challenge on 14 May 2012 until 3 August 2012.

Simon Mayo was the announcer for the concert celebrating Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee on 4 June 2012.

Simon Mayo is married to Hilary Bird, who had worked at Radio Nottingham since 1984 on Action Line, and worked for BBC Radio 2 as a producer for Canon Roger Royle and later Don Maclean on Good Morning Sunday from 1987 to 1990.

Simon Mayo was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2021 Birthday Honours for services to broadcasting.