View source for Simon Mayo

{{short description|English radio presenter and author}}
{{Distinguish|Mayo Simon}}
{{EngvarB|date=January 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2014}}
{{Infobox presenter
| name        = Simon Mayo
| honorific_suffix   = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|MBE}}
| image       = Simon Mayo (41543482744) (cropped).jpg
| caption     = Mayo in May 2018
| birth_name  = Simon Andrew Hicks Mayo
| birth_date  = {{Birth date and age|1958|9|21|df=yes}}
| birth_place = London, England
| alma_mater = [[University of Warwick]]
| show        = {{Unbulletedlist|The Album Show|Drivetime}}
| station     = [[Greatest Hits Radio]]
| timeslot    = {{Nowrap|Monday – Friday, 4{{nbsp}}pm{{snd}}7{{nbsp}}pm; <br> Sunday, 1{{nbsp}}pm{{snd}}4{{nbsp}}pm}}
| show2        = ''Simon Mayo''
| station2     = [[Magic Classical]]
| timeslot2    = 10{{nbsp}}am{{snd}}12{{nbsp}}pm, Sunday
| country     = United Kingdom
| parents     =
| spouse      = {{marriage|Hilary Bird|1986}}
| years_active = 1986–present
| children    = 3
}}

'''Simon Andrew Hicks Mayo''' {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|MBE}} (born 21 September 1958) is an English radio presenter and author who worked for [[BBC Radio]] from 1982 until 2022.

Mayo has presented across three BBC stations for extended periods. From 1986 to 2001 he worked for Radio 1, including a five-year stint on the ''[[Radio 1 Breakfast Show]]''. From 2001 he presented on [[BBC Radio 5 Live]]: from his debut until 2009 on a daily afternoon programme, and since then until 2022 with ''[[Kermode and Mayo's Film Review]]'' on Fridays. Between January 2010 and December 2018 he was the presenter of ''[[Simon Mayo Drivetime]]'' on [[BBC Radio 2]], for the final six months with co-host [[Jo Whiley]]. In addition to his programme on 5 Live, Mayo originally joined Radio 2 between October 2001 and April 2008 to host a weekly Album Chart Show, followed by the station's Music Club Weekly. 

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

In 2008, Mayo was recognised as the "Radio Broadcaster of the Year"  at the 34th annual [[Broadcasting Press Guild]] Awards,<ref name="BPG2008">{{cite web|url=http://www.broadcastingpressguild.org/bpg-awards/2008-2/ |title=BPG TV and Radio Awards|publisher=[[Broadcasting Press Guild]] |date=4 April 2008 |access-date=21 September 2018 }}</ref> and the "Speech Broadcaster of the Year" at the [[Sony Radio Academy Awards]], receiving the latter for his "ability to paint colourful pictures of location and event and his ability to bring the very best out of his guests, encouraging conversation and interaction between them while skilfully nudging and controlling them" and for being "a master of light and shade, handling serious and lighter issues with aplomb."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.radioawards.org/winners/?awid=115&awname=The+Speech+Broadcaster+of+the+Year&year=2008 |title=The Speech Broadcaster of the Year |publisher=[[Sony Radio Academy Awards]] |access-date=22 November 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081006163802/http://www.radioawards.org/winners/?awid=115&awname=The+Speech+Broadcaster+of+the+Year&year=2008 |archive-date=6 October 2008 }}</ref>

Mayo is also a published author. His works include a book titled ''Confessions'', based on the ''[[Confessions (radio programme)|Confessions]]'' slot from his radio shows, and several fictional thrillers.

==Early life==
Simon Mayo was born in September 1958.<ref>{{cite web |date=4 April 2008 |title=Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo's Film Reviews Podcast 17th May 2013 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/b0070ltf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120806142036/http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/kermode |archive-date=6 August 2012 |access-date=17 May 2013 |publisher=BBC |df=dmy-all}}</ref> His father was a headteacher, and his mother, who had worked as a BBC studio manager in the 1950s, also taught for a time.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Palmer |first=Camilla |date=2016-07-22 |title=Simon Mayo: ‘I do sometimes feel like an outsider’ |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/jul/22/simon-mayo-family-values-bbc-radio |access-date=2024-10-16 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> His 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.<ref>''Birmingham Daily Post'' Tuesday 21 March 1967, page 2</ref> In the early 1970s, his father was the headmaster of the Herbert Shiner School in [[Petworth]], West Sussex, a middle school or intermediate school.<ref>''Worthing Gazette'' Wednesday 4 December 1974, page 10</ref>

He attended St John's Primary School in [[Croydon]], the [[Arden School]] in [[Knowle, West Midlands|Knowle]] in the West Midlands (for one term), the independent [[Solihull School]] and [[Worthing High School for Boys]] in West Sussex, which was then a state [[grammar school]] for boys.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=17 May 2013 |title=What I learnt at school: Simon Mayo |url=https://www.teachsecondary.com/comment/view/what-i-learnt-at-school-simon-mayo |access-date=2021-07-18 |website=Teach Secondary |language=en}}</ref> He graduated from the [[University of Warwick]] in 1981, with a degree in history and politics.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-01-20|title=Warwick Student Radio talk to BBC Radio 2 Presenter|url=https://warwick.ac.uk/about/warwick50/news/?newsItem=094d43454aca4325014b080b935d6c26|access-date=2021-07-18|website=IMAGINING THE FUTURE|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=1981|url=https://warwick.ac.uk/about/warwick50/countup/1981|access-date=2021-07-18|website=warwick.ac.uk}}</ref>

==Early career==
His mother had undertaken part-time work in radio, and having occasionally experienced it with her, Mayo had wanted to work as a studio manager. But as a result of a frequency deficiency in his left ear, he failed the required hearing test, and refocused his career on presenting.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/cg41ylwv43pt|title=School Report – Simon Mayo: BBC Radio 2 star interviewed by School Reporters|work=School Report|date=19 March 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150320160138/http://www.bbc.co.uk/schoolreport/31816109|archive-date=20 March 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Mayo spent some time honing his skills at [[Seaside Hospital Radio|Southlands Hospital Radio]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.seasidehr.com/history_full.html |title=Seaside Hospital Radio – History |access-date=18 April 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727155908/http://www.seasidehr.com/history_full.html |archive-date=27 July 2011 }}</ref> He had fully planned to start a PGCE course, but instead was offered work, for five years as a presenter with [[BBC Radio Nottingham]] from 10:45{{nbsp}}am to 2{{nbsp}}pm. With a Radio Nottingham colleague he developed a programme format called ''Globe Phone'' and sent it to [[Johnny Beerling]], head of [[BBC Radio 1|Radio 1]], who offered him a job.<ref>Nottingham Evening Post, Saturday 3 June 2000</ref>

He joined BBC Radio 1 in 1986, presenting a two-hour Saturday evening show from 7:30{{nbsp}}pm to 9:30{{nbsp}}pm. In October 1987 he progressed to the weekend early slots from 6{{nbsp}}am to 8{{nbsp}}am, and then became presenter of the weekday evening show in January 1988, which went out from 7:30{{nbsp}}pm to 10{{nbsp}}pm. Five months later he was offered the [[BBC Radio 1]] breakfast show, regarded as the most prestigious presentation job in UK radio.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3172032.stm |title= Chris Moyles: Radio 1 saviour? |access-date=23 February 2010 | date=7 October 2003 | publisher=BBC News}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/chris-moyles-the-radio-1-breakfast-show-578257.html |title=Chris Moyles, The Radio 1 Breakfast Show |work=The Independent |access-date=23 February 2010 |location=London |first=Robert |last=Hanks |date=6 January 2004 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090807115631/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/chris-moyles-the-radio-1-breakfast-show-578257.html |archive-date=7 August 2009 }}</ref>

== Shows ==

=== BBC Radio 1 ===

====''Breakfast''====
{{Further|Simon Mayo Breakfast Show
}}
Mayo spent five years presenting ''[[Radio 1 Breakfast]]'' on BBC Radio 1. Throughout his tenure on the breakfast show, which was based on a "[[Morning zoo|zoo]]" format, Mayo was joined by news anchor Rod McKenzie and by a sidekick weather and travel presenter: first Carol Dooley, then [[Sybil Ruscoe]], [[Jackie Brambles]], and [[Dianne Oxberry]]. Weather and travel news reader stand-ins include Mayo's Radio 1 colleague [[Lynn Parsons]], [[Caron Keating]] (from ''[[Blue Peter]]'' and ''[[Songs of Praise]]''), and [[Philippa Forrester]] (from [[CBBC (TV channel)|CBBC]]). The show's producer was [[Ric Blaxill]], who also made regular speaking contributions.

He started his first breakfast show by playing "[[Somewhere in My Heart]]" by [[Aztec Camera]], which was preceded by a montage of previous breakfast show hosts and then Mayo himself saying "It's me, Simon Mayo, good morning."

The programme became known for various features, including ''[[On This Day in History]]'', sound-tracked by a looped version of [[George Michael]]'s "[[I Want Your Sex]]"; the long-running cryptic game ''[[The Identik-Hit Quiz]]'', where Mayo and his co-hosts would act out a short scene which cryptically led listeners to the title of a hit song; and his ''[[Confessions (radio programme)|Confessions]]'' feature where members of the public sought absolution for their (often frivolous or humorous) "sins". Mayo had already presented the dilemma show ''Scruples'' for BBC television and had joined his Radio 1 colleagues on the host roster for ''[[Top of the Pops]]''. Both ''On This Day in History'' and ''Confessions'' spawned spin-off books.

Due to frequent plays from Mayo, several unlikely hit singles reached the UK charts, including "[[Kinky Boots (song)|Kinky Boots]]" by [[Patrick Macnee]] and [[Honor Blackman]]; "[[Donald Where's Your Troosers?]]" by [[Andy Stewart (musician)|Andy Stewart]]; and "[[Always Look on the Bright Side of Life]]", sung and written by [[Eric Idle]]. For helping [[Monty Python]] have a hit with the latter, thirteen years after it first appeared on the soundtrack to ''[[Monty Python's Life of Brian|The Life of Brian]]'', Idle presented Mayo with a model bare foot, in the style of the animated version which used to end the opening titles to the TV show.

Like all Radio 1's high profile presenters of the time, Mayo would take his turn to spend a week in a coastal area of the UK during the [[Radio 1 Roadshow]]s which ran for two months of the summer. For a short while, he also presented an additional weekend show for the station on a Sunday afternoon, provisionally titled ''O Solomon Mayo'', to cover for the absent [[Phillip Schofield]], who was working in the West End.

====Mid-mornings====
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. His stand-in [[Mark Goodier]] was his replacement.

Mayo took over the station's mid-morning slot on 25 October 1993, where he remained until February 2001. In addition to this, in May 1994, he presented ''Simon Mayo's Classic Years'', where he played two hours of classic pop tunes. The show originally went out on a Sunday lunchtime from noon till 2pm, but in November 1994 went out from 10{{nbsp}}am till noon on Sundays. This lasted until October 1995.

In January 1997, Mayo made a brief return to the breakfast show for three weeks after [[Chris Evans (presenter)|Chris Evans]] was dismissed, but both Mayo and Radio 1 ruled out the possibilities of a permanent return to the programme. On his first morning as breakfast stand-in, Mayo read out an email from a man who had emigrated to New Zealand four years earlier and had arrived back in the UK that morning and was "delighted to hear you're still doing the breakfast show".

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

Mayo remained on the mid-morning slot until he left Radio 1 in 2001, seeing breakfast show presenters [[Mark Goodier]], [[Steve Wright (DJ)|Steve Wright]], [[Chris Evans (presenter)|Chris Evans]], [[Mark and Lard]], [[Kevin Greening]], [[Zoe Ball]], and [[Sara Cox]], come and go from the slot. He was replaced by [[Jo Whiley]].

His final show was on Friday 16 February 2001, and before signing off, he said: "One of the reasons I'm not going to '[[Dave Lee Travis#On-air resignation|do a DLT]]' is that I've nothing to complain about at all – though as I'll still be employed by the BBC it'd be a stupid thing to do. I always thought as a kid working at Radio 1 would be the most fun and the best place for any presenter to work and I still think that's true."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1173507.stm |title=Mayo's Radio 1 farewell |date=16 February 2001 |publisher=BBC News |access-date=26 January 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030418191741/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/1173507.stm |archive-date=18 April 2003 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> His final track played on Radio 1 was "[[Ace of Spades (song)|Ace of Spades]]" by [[Motörhead]].

===BBC Radio 5 Live===
{{rquote|right|I always thought I'd like to go back to music. But I also loved exploring a subject from scratch to interview a nuclear physicist. The [5 Live] job was a bit like an [[Open University]] degree course. The longer I did it, the more I realised how little I know, which is part of ageing. |Mayo, after his move to Radio 2 Drivetime<ref name="telegraph"/>}}
In May 2001, after 15 years of broadcasting with Radio 1, Mayo moved on to another national BBC station, [[BBC Radio 5 Live]], to present an afternoon programme. He began broadcasting every weekday from 1{{nbsp}}pm to 4{{nbsp}}pm, where he remained until 18 December 2009. He was on air in 2001 when the [[9/11 attacks]] took place in the United States, broadcasting live as the events unfolded.

The programme generally combined topical debates, interviews and reviews. It came live from [[Westminster]] each Wednesday for live coverage of [[Prime Minister's Questions]], with discussion and debate afterwards with political correspondents and [[Member of Parliament|MPs]]. The programme also featured Mayo's former Radio 1 sidekick [[Mark Kermode]] reviewing the new movie releases each Friday afternoon. The banter between Mayo and Kermode in this section of the programme was described by both men as "wittertainment at its most wittertaining." (The [[neologism]] ''wittertainment'' is a [[portmanteau]] of ''[[wikt:witter|witter]]'' and ''entertainment'', and was coined in a now deleted Wikipedia entry.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.brian-fitzgerald.com/miscellaneous/wittertainment/ |title=Wittertainment |first=Brian |last=Fitzgerald |work=University of Limerick |access-date=4 June 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140323212628/http://www.brian-fitzgerald.com/miscellaneous/wittertainment/ |archive-date=23 March 2014 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> However, Kermode and Mayo took note of the article before its deletion and have since been using the term regularly to refer to their show.<ref>{{cite web |first=Gordon |last=McCabe |url=https://mccabism.blogspot.com/2007/02/wittertainment.html |title=Wittertainment |work=McCabism |date=9 February 2007 |access-date=4 June 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320035616/http://mccabism.blogspot.com/2007/02/wittertainment.html |archive-date=20 March 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=David |last=Braithwaite |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/webarchive/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fblogs%2F5live%2F2010%2F10%2Fwittertainments-rules-of-cinem.shtml |title=Blog entry: Wittertainment's rules of cinema conduct |publisher=BBC |access-date=1 October 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130724201109/http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/5live/2010/10/wittertainments-rules-of-cinem.shtml |archive-date=24 July 2013 |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://twitter.com/wittertainment |title=The Show's Twitter Account: @wittertainment |publisher=Twitter |access-date=1 October 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131006072635/https://twitter.com/wittertainment |archive-date=6 October 2013 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>)

In a May 2008 interview with ''[[The Guardian]]'', Mayo mentioned he "signed a contract for the next two years" and was uncertain whether he would still be at 5 Live when it moved to [[City of Salford|Salford]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2008/may/29/radio |title=Question time: Simon Mayo on why Five Live is criminally underrated |first=Hannah |last=Pool |work=The Guardian |date=29 May 2008 |access-date=18 September 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150916012102/http://www.theguardian.com/media/2008/may/29/radio |archive-date=16 September 2015 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> It was later confirmed that Mayo was to move to [[BBC Radio 2]]'s drivetime slot, though he continued to host a weekly two-hour film review show, ''[[Kermode and Mayo's Film Review]]'', on 5 Live with Kermode until April 2022.<ref name=Plunkett>{{cite news |first=John |last=Plunkett |title=Simon Mayo confirmed as Chris Evans's successor on BBC Radio 2 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2009/sep/15/simon-mayo-chris-evans |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=15 September 2009 |access-date=15 September 2009 |location=London |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140212221345/http://www.theguardian.com/media/2009/sep/15/simon-mayo-chris-evans |archive-date=12 February 2014 |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Kermode and Mayo take their film review to Sony Music |url=https://radiotoday.co.uk/2022/04/kermode-and-mayo-take-their-film-review-to-sony-music/ |access-date=26 April 2022 |work=Radio Today |date=1 April 2022}}</ref> In May 2009, Mayo and Kermode won a Gold Sony Radio Award in the Speech Award category.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.radioawards.org/winners/?awid=159&awname=The+Speech+Award&year=2009 |title=The Sony Radio Academy Awards |publisher=Radioawards.org |access-date=4 June 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090515100223/http://www.radioawards.org/winners/?awid=159&awname=The+Speech+Award&year=2009 |archive-date=15 May 2009 }}</ref>

===BBC Radio 2===
{{main|Simon Mayo Drivetime}}
In addition to his daily programme on 5 Live, from October 2001 to April 2007, Mayo hosted the Album Chart show each week for BBC Radio 2. Alongside this, on 2 January 2006, he presented ''The Ultimate Music Year'' for the station, where listeners got the chance to vote for their favourite year for music. He has also presented many ''Sold on Song'' projects, presented the Top 100 Albums and provided holiday cover for [[Johnnie Walker (DJ)|Johnnie Walker]] on Sundays. From April 2007 to April 2008 Mayo took over the ''Radio 2 Music Club'' every Monday night from 11:30{{nbsp}}pm to 12:30{{nbsp}}am.

In January 2010, Mayo took over from [[Chris Evans (presenter)|Chris Evans]] on the [[Simon Mayo Drivetime|Drivetime show]],<ref>{{cite news|url= https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8241101.stm|title= Sir Terry to leave breakfast show|publisher= BBC News|date= 7 September 2009|access-date= 7 September 2009}}</ref> noting he was "very lucky to be given a second chance in such a high-profile slot."<ref name="telegraph">{{cite news | title=Simon Mayo on the move to Radio 2 and his new Telegraph column | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/6952250/Simon-Mayo-on-the-move-to-Radio-2-and-his-new-Telegraph-column.html | work=The Daily Telegraph | date=9 January 2010 | access-date=10 January 2010 | location=London | first=Jasper | last=Gerard | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100112094634/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/6952250/Simon-Mayo-on-the-move-to-Radio-2-and-his-new-Telegraph-column.html | archive-date=12 January 2010 | df=dmy-all }}</ref> The programme included a number of regular daily features including "Nigel's Recipes", "[[Confessions (radio)|Confessions]]", "Homework Sucks" and "The Showstopper". Every Friday he hosted "All-Request Friday" where listeners rang the show and had their favourite song played on the radio after a short interview. The show ended on 4 May 2018 after eight years, as Mayo was to begin hosting a revamped drivetime show with co-host [[Jo Whiley]] from 14 May 2018. On 22 October that year, the station announced that Mayo would be leaving Radio 2 altogether after a backlash against the change, with Whiley moving back to an evening slot. Their last show together aired on 20 December, with Mayo presenting his last show after 17 years with the station the following day.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-45938829|title= Simon Mayo and Jo Whiley Radio 2 Drivetime show to end|publisher= BBC News|date= 22 October 2018|access-date= 22 October 2018}}</ref>

As his opening theme Mayo used the 2003 recording by [[Jools Holland]] and [[Prince Buster]] of the 1948 song "[[Enjoy Yourself (It's Later than You Think)|Enjoy Yourself]]" by Carl Sigman and by Herb Magidson. Later editions of the show also used the popular 1950 hit version by [[Guy Lombardo]] and his Royal Canadians. Incidental music included "[[Light My Fire]]" by [[Edmundo Ros]].

In May 2011, Mayo won a Sony Award for "Best Music Show" for his work and that of his team on the Radio 2 drive time slot.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sony Awards 2011|url=http://www.radioawards.org/winners/2011/programme-awards/best-music-programme/|publisher=Radioawards.org|access-date=30 June 2014}}</ref>

On 21 December 2018, 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. The last song to be played was "[[Bring Me Sunshine]]" by [[Morecambe and Wise]].

===Scala Radio later Magic Classical===
On 4 March 2019 at 10am, Mayo presented the launch of a new [[classical music]] [[digital radio]] station, [[Scala Radio]], for which he was one of the lead presenters.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sherwin |first=Adam |date=2019-02-26 |title=Simon Mayo: Why I had to quit Radio 2 for new classical station Scala |url=https://inews.co.uk/culture/simon-mayo-radio2-scala-whiley-classical-261310 |access-date=2022-08-24 |website=inews.co.uk |language=en}}</ref> He 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.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Martin |first=Roy |date=2021-02-01 |title=Simon Mayo to host Drive on Greatest Hits Radio |url=https://radiotoday.co.uk/2021/02/simon-mayo-to-host-drive-on-greatest-hits-radio/ |access-date=2022-08-24 |website=RadioToday |language=en-GB}}</ref> He then presented a two-hour show on Sunday mornings, which continues after Scala was rebranded as Magic Classical in September 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Magic Classical: Schedule |url=https://hellorayo.co.uk/magic-classical/schedule/ |access-date=25 September 2024 |website=Rayo}}</ref>

===Greatest Hits Radio===
In addition to his daily programme on Scala, Mayo joined [[Greatest Hits Radio]] in September 2020, firstly taking over a weekly album show on Sundays from 1pm to 4pm. He then began the Monday to Friday drivetime radio show on 15 March 2021,<ref name=":1" /> bringing back items from his [[BBC Radio 2]] shows including "Confessions", "Tunesday", "Nigel's Recipes" and "All-Request Friday". Mayo is joined on these shows by sports reporter [[Matt Williams (radio presenter)|Matt Williams]], who had worked with him for some time on the Radio 2 show.<ref>{{Cite web |title="Simon Mayo And The Drivetime Team on BBC Radio 2" |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00p2dfq/profiles |access-date=2024-08-03 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}}</ref> He continues to present his ''Album Show'' on Sunday afternoons.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Harvey |first=Chris |date=2021-03-05 |title=Simon Mayo interview: 'We all get told our time is up, but not always with respect and decency' |language=en-GB |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/radio/radio-presenters/simon-mayo-interview-get-told-time-not-always-respect-decency/ |access-date=2022-08-24 |issn=0307-1235}}</ref>

==Other work==

===BBC Radio 4===
Mayo presented ''[[Act Your Age (radio series)|Act Your Age]]'', a [[panel game]] for [[BBC Radio 4]], first broadcast on 27 November 2008.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00fr1rl |title=Act Your Age, Series 1 |work=[[BBC Radio 4 Extra]] |year=2015 |access-date=18 September 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160106173236/http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00fr1rl |archive-date=6 January 2016 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

In January 2024 Mayo was the guest on the Radio 4 programme ''[[Great Lives]]''; his choice was [[Alan Freeman]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001vl9g|title=Great Lives |work=BBC Radio 4 |date=23 January 2024 |access-date=26 January 2024}}<br>A podcast is also available for downloading within the United Kingdom, but not necessarily elsewhere as in some cases the BBC blocks particular podcasts from being downloaded outside the United Kingdom.</ref>

===Television projects===
Between 1995 and 1998 Mayo presented a TV version of ''Confessions'', based on the hit feature from his&nbsp;BBC Radio 1&nbsp;breakfast and mid-morning shows.

Starting in 1999 he was the original presenter of [[National Lottery (United Kingdom)|National Lottery]] game show ''[[Winning Lines]]'' on [[BBC One]] until 2000 when he was replaced by [[Phillip Schofield]] in 2001.

In 2005 he presented a series ''The Big Dig'' on BBC TV about allotments in the [[Rhondda|Rhondda Valley]] contrasted with others in Highgate, London.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.allotment.org.uk/articles/Big_Dig_Allotment_Televison_Programme.php |title=Details of The Big Dig |work=allotment.org.uk |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130425000907/http://allotment.org.uk/articles/Big_Dig_Allotment_Televison_Programme.php |archive-date=25 April 2013 }}</ref>

Mayo hosted a revival of the classic quiz show ''[[Blockbusters (British game show)|Blockbusters]]'', which began airing on [[Challenge (TV channel)|Challenge]] on 14 May 2012 until 3 August 2012.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.metro.co.uk/home/889524-simon-mayo-named-as-new-host-of-blockbusters-remake|title=Simon Mayo named as new host of Blockbusters remake|date=6 February 2012|access-date=6 February 2012|work=[[Metro (British newspaper)|Metro]]}}</ref>

He was the announcer for the [[Diamond Jubilee Concert|concert]] celebrating [[Queen Elizabeth II]]'s [[Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II|Diamond Jubilee]] on 4 June 2012.

===Podcast===
Following the end of the BBC Radio 5 Live show ''[[Kermode and Mayo's Film Review]]'', the pair started the podcast ''Kermode and Mayo's Take'' in May 2022. In July 2018 Mayo, along with Matt Williams, began presenting a weekly podcast: ''Simon Mayo's Books of the Year''.

===Books===
''Confessions'', based on the hit feature from his [[BBC Radio 2]] drivetime show, and his former [[BBC Radio 1]] breakfast and mid-morning shows.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/editions/confessions/9780593069370 |title=Confessions |work=Random House |date=13 October 2011 |access-date=4 June 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120523225153/http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/editions/confessions/9780593069370 |archive-date=23 May 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> was released in October 2011. The book is a compilation of the best confessions sent to the show by listeners.

Mayo's debut novel, ''Itch'', was released on 1 March 2012. The titular protagonist is a fourteen-year-old boy who discovers a previously unknown chemical element.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/editions/itch/9780857531308 |title=Itch |work=Random House |date=1 March 2012 |access-date=4 June 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120531095540/http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/editions/itch/9780857531308 |archive-date=31 May 2012 }}</ref> ''The Guardian'' called it 'a great and thrilling book with an easy to read storyline that will help kids to understand elements!'<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2016/may/07/itch-simon-mayo-review|title = Itch by Simon Mayo – review|website = [[TheGuardian.com]]|date = 7 May 2016}}</ref> His second novel ''Itch Rocks'' was released in February 2013<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/editions/9780857531322 |title=Itch Rocks |work=Random House |date=28 February 2013 |access-date=30 June 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140312055357/http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/editions/9780857531322 |archive-date=12 March 2014 }}</ref> and the third instalment, ''Itchcraft'', came out in September 2014.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/editions/itch-3/9780857532954 |title=ItchCraft |work=Random House |date=11 September 2014 |access-date=9 February 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150210004450/http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/editions/itch-3/9780857532954 |archive-date=10 February 2015 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

''Itch'' and ''Itch Rocks'' were adapted into an opera, ''Itch,'' which premiered on 22 July 2023 at Opera Holland Park. It was commissioned by [[Opera Holland Park]], and composed by [[Jonathan Dove]] with libretto by [[Alasdair Middleton]].

His first young adult novel, ''Blame'', was published in July 2016.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Mayo|first1=Simon|title=Simon Mayo tells us about his YA debut: Blame|url=https://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2016/may/09/simon-mayo-blame-ya-debut|website=The Guardian|access-date=6 November 2016|date=9 May 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161107093422/https://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2016/may/09/simon-mayo-blame-ya-debut|archive-date=7 November 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Mayo's first novel for adults, ''Mad Blood Stirring'', was published in April 2018 and received mixed reviews. It is a historical novel set in Dartmoor Prison in 1815. Clare Clarke, for ''The Guardian'', said: "With its huge, amorphous cast and little interior characterisation, its pages rich with Shakespeare’s poetry and the rousing gospel music for which Block 4 was reputedly renowned, the dialogue-heavy ''Mad Blood Stirring'' reads more like a first-draft film treatment than a finished novel. Mayo has served up all the ingredients he could find, but longer cooking would have given it greater depth and subtlety of flavour." The novelist John Boyne said:  "Bristling with energy, written with passion, ''Mad Blood Stirring'' is a joy to read."

In 2020 ''Knife Edge'', a first thriller for Mayo, was published. Its setting is drawn from his experiences when an undergraduate at Warwick University, and the denouement is in the neighbouring city of Coventry. The book was promoted as a ''Sunday Times'' Top 10 bestseller. 

''Tick Tock'', a thriller based on a mysterious global illness, was published in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tick Tock by Simon Mayo |url=https://www.waterstones.com/book/tick-tock/simon-mayo/9780857526618 |access-date=24 August 2022 |website=Waterstones}}</ref>

==Radio credits==
* [[BBC Radio Nottingham]] – ''The Simon Mayo Show'' 10:45{{nbsp}}am{{snd}}2{{nbsp}}pm, 1982{{ndash}}1986
* [[BBC Radio 1]]:
**  Saturday evenings 7:30{{nbsp}}pm{{snd}}9:30{{nbsp}}pm, 1986{{ndash}}1987
**  Weekend early mornings 6{{nbsp}}am{{snd}}8{{nbsp}}am, late 1987
**  Monday{{ndash}}Thursday evenings 7:30{{nbsp}}pm{{snd}}10{{nbsp}}pm, January{{snd}}May 1988
**  Breakfast Show 6{{nbsp}}am{{snd}}9{{nbsp}}am, May 1988{{snd}}September 1993
**  Mid Morning Show 9{{nbsp}}am{{snd}}12 noon, October 1993{{snd}}February 2001
* [[BBC Radio 5 Live]]:
**   Afternoon Show 1{{nbsp}}pm{{snd}}4{{nbsp}}pm, May 2001{{snd}}December 2009
** [[Kermode and Mayo's Film Review]] Friday 2{{nbsp}}pm{{snd}}4{{nbsp}}pm, January 2010{{snd}}May 2019; 3{{nbsp}}pm{{snd}}5{{nbsp}}pm, May 2019{{snd}}March 2020, August 2021{{snd}}February 2022; 2:30{{nbsp}}pm{{snd}}4{{nbsp}}pm, March 2020{{snd}}August 2021, February 2022{{snd}}April 2022
* [[BBC Radio 2]]:
**  Album Chart Show Monday evenings 7{{nbsp}}pm{{snd}}8{{nbsp}}pm, October 2001{{snd}}April 2007
**  Music Club Monday nights/Tuesday overnight 11:30{{nbsp}}pm{{snd}}12:30{{nbsp}}am, April 2007{{snd}}April 2008
**  Drivetime Monday – Friday 5{{nbsp}}pm{{snd}}7{{nbsp}}pm, 11 January 2010{{snd}}4 May 2018
** [[Jo Whiley]] & Simon Mayo – Monday – Thursday 5{{nbsp}}pm{{snd}}8{{nbsp}}pm; Friday 5{{nbsp}}pm{{snd}}7{{nbsp}}pm, 14 May 2018{{snd}} 21 December 2018
* [[BBC Radio 4]] – ''Act Your Age'' 6:30{{nbsp}}pm, November{{snd}}December 2008
* Scala Radio:
**  Monday – Saturday mid-mornings 10{{nbsp}}am{{snd}}1{{nbsp}}pm, 4 March 2019{{snd}}26 February 2021
**  Essential Albums. Saturdays 3{{nbsp}}pm{{snd}}5{{nbsp}}pm, 3 April 2021 – 21 May 2023
**  Sunday mid-mornings 10{{nbsp}}am{{snd}}12{{nbsp}}pm, 28 May 2023 – 15 September 2024
* [[Greatest Hits Radio]]:
**  Album Show. Sundays 1{{nbsp}}pm{{snd}}4{{nbsp}}pm, 6 September 2020 – present
**  Drivetime Monday – Friday 4{{nbsp}}pm{{snd}}7{{nbsp}}pm, 15 March 2021 – present
* [[Magic Classical]]
**  Sunday mid-mornings 10{{nbsp}}am{{snd}}12{{nbsp}}pm, 22 September 2024 – present

== Personal life ==
While at university, he was a presenter on the student radio station, [[Radio Warwick]].<ref name="bbccov" /> In 2005 the university awarded him an honorary [[Doctor of Letters]].<ref name="bbccov">{{cite news |url= https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/coventry_warwickshire/4671063.stm |title=Mayo to be made honorary doctor |work=[[BBC News]] |date=11 July 2005 |location=[[London, England|London]] |access-date=18 September 2015}}</ref>

Mayo is married to Hilary Bird, who had worked at Radio Nottingham since 1984 on ''Action Line'', and also worked for [[BBC Radio 2]] as a producer for [[Roger Royle|Canon Roger Royle]] and later [[Don Maclean]] on ''Good Morning Sunday'' from 1987 to 1990.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/3289320/My-first-home-Simon-Mayo.html | title=My first home: Simon Mayo | work=The Telegraph | date=26 May 2011 | access-date=19 April 2011 | last=Greenstreet | first=Rosanna | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130724113113/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/3289320/My-first-home-Simon-Mayo.html | archive-date=24 July 2013 | df=dmy-all }}</ref> The wedding took place on Saturday 11 October 1986 at [[St Helen's Church, Burton Joyce|St Helen's Church]] in [[Burton Joyce]], Nottinghamshire. They have two sons and a daughter. Mayo is a supporter of [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]],<ref name="radio2bio">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/mayo/biography_mayo.shtml |title=Simon Mayo Biography |publisher=BBC Radio 2 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071102173543/http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/mayo/biography_mayo.shtml |archive-date=2 November 2007 }}</ref> and lives in north London.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Moore |first=Interview by Dan |date=2025-04-17 |title=Simon Mayo: ‘It would be nice to have views and a bigger garden’ |url=https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/property-home/article/simon-mayo-house-garden-london-vdrfkvd3j |access-date=2025-09-14 |website=www.thetimes.com |language=en}}</ref>

Mayo is a committed Christian and he has argued that the BBC often marginalises Christianity.<ref>https://www.christian.org.uk/news/bbc-is-marginalising-religion-simon-mayo/. Retrieved 1 August 2025.</ref> 

Mayo was appointed [[Member of the Order of the British Empire]] (MBE) in the [[2021 Birthday Honours]] for services to broadcasting.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=63377|supp=y|page=B21|date=12 June 2021}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{IMDb name|id=0562916|name=Simon Mayo}}
* [https://planetradio.co.uk/greatest-hits/shows/the-simon-mayo-drivetime-show/  The Simon Mayo Drivetime Show on Greatest Hits Radio] (Greatest Hits Radio)
* [https://hellorayo.co.uk/greatest-hits/shows/all-request-friday/ Simon Mayo: All Request Friday on Greatest Hits Radio] (Greatest Hits Radio)
* [https://hellorayo.co.uk/magic-classical/shows/scala-radio-simon-mayo/ Simon Mayo on Magic Classical] (Magic Classical)
* [https://planetradio.co.uk/greatest-hits/shows/simon-mayo-the-album-show/ Simon Mayo: The Album Show on Greatest Hits Radio] (Greatest Hits Radio)
* [https://hellorayo.co.uk/greatest-hits-radio-80s/shows/raidersofthelost80s/ Raiders Of The Lost 80s with Simon Mayo on Greatest Hits Radio 80s] (Greatest Hits Radio 80s)
* [https://www.kermodeandmayo.com/ Kermode and Mayo's Take Official Website]
* [http://www.radiorewind.co.uk/radio1/simon_mayo_page.htm Simon Mayo] from Radio Rewind's website

{{s-start}}
{{s-media}}
{{succession box
| title = [[BBC Radio 1]]<br>[[Radio 1 Breakfast|Breakfast Show Presenter]]
| years = 1988–1993
| before = [[Mike Smith (broadcaster)|Mike Smith]]
| after = [[Mark Goodier]]
}}
{{succession box
| title = [[BBC Radio 2]]<br>Drivetime Show Presenter
| years = 2010–2018
| before = [[Chris Evans (presenter)|Chris Evans]]
| after = himself with [[Jo Whiley]]
}}
{{succession box
| title = [[BBC Radio 2]]<br>Drivetime Show Presenter
| years = <small>(with co-host [[Jo Whiley]])</small><br> 2018
| before = himself
| after = [[Sara Cox]]
}}
{{S-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mayo, Simon}}
[[Category:1958 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Warwick]]
[[Category:BBC Radio 1 presenters]]
[[Category:Simon Mayo Breakfast Show]]
[[Category:BBC Radio 2 presenters]]
[[Category:BBC Radio 5 Live presenters]]
[[Category:English radio DJs]]
[[Category:English writers]]
[[Category:English radio personalities]]
[[Category:People educated at Solihull School]]
[[Category:People educated at Worthing High School]]
[[Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:British Christians]]