Adrian Chiles to return to BBC Radio 5 Live
Adrian Chiles to return to BBC Radio 5 Live
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Presenter Adrian Chiles is to return to BBC Radio 5 live to host the station’s Drive show on Fridays, 4–7pm, from November 2013.
In his first contracted BBC job since he sensationally left The One Show in 2010 – reportedly furious that Chris Evans was brought in to host on Fridays – Chiles takes over the Friday edition of Radio 5 Live’s 4pm-7pm news and sports round-up, with existing host Peter Allen continuing from Monday though to Thursday, alongside Anna Foster.
The latest move is likely to boost speculation that Chiles will not sign another contract with ITV when it expires next year.
However, for the time being he will continue to be a regular face on ITV, fronting their UEFA Champions League coverage and also hosting a Sunday night talkshow on the channel.
Chiles added: “It¹s very exciting to be coming back to Radio 5 live. It was a privilege to have been there right at the beginning when it launched, and I¹m thrilled to have been asked back. It¹ll be great to tackle news, current affairs and business stuff, as well as sport. All the time I¹ve been away from 5 live I¹ve remained an avid fan and it¹ll be good to be part of it again.”
BBC Radio 5 live controller Jonathan Wall said: “It¹s great to be welcoming Adrian to the 5 live Drive team. He’s such a strong broadcaster and the perfect fit to present the show alongside Anna Foster on Fridays. I also can’t wait to unleash the new look Fighting Talk – we¹ve gathered a brilliant fresh squad of presenters.”
Chiles, previously worked with the station on Wake Up To Money when it formed in 1994, as well as presenting Chiles On Saturday.
The broadcaster also adds Christian O’Connell, Jonathan Pearce and Matt Johnson to its Saturday panel show Fighting Talk.
Of his return to Fighting Talk, Christian O’Connell says: “The world of sport is littered with ill-advised comebacks, this promises to be another. Being serious, I’m so excited about being back on 5 live. My warm-up guy Danny Baker is pretty good too. Fighting Talk is the best format on radio, maybe ever, it still works and Saturday can’t come soon enough.”
Gregor Cameron, Executive Producer, Fighting Talk, adds: “Fighting Talk is about to celebrate its 10th anniversary and its grown to be a bigger show than any single man could handle so why not change the presenter line-up from being a solo to a team event? We are incredibly pleased to announce our impressive starting line-up of presenters.”
Adrian Chiles joined the BBC, originally for work experience on Business Breakfast. He then became an assistant producer and, by 1993, was presenting Radio 4’s Financial World Tonight.
He began presenting and producing his own show Chiles on Saturday for Radio 5 Live, which was awarded the sports category Gold Medal at the Sony Radio Academy Awards in 2002.
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