We we're lucky enough to call
@GrationHarry
a good friend. When he conducted our ceremony and married us he made the best day of my life even more memorable. No mean feat. A legend without an ounce of ego who made people feel like they mattered. Rest easy H.
Just to share a bit of lovely news. Remember we made a baby about 9 months ago? Well this week she arrived - little Scout has changed our world. We're totally smitten, and
@KeeleyDonovan
is my hero. We're forever indebted to the staff at the LGI. My heart is about to burst.
As I sit here in my tracky bottoms I got from Lidl four years ago, in a 8 year old t-shirt I use for decorating, watching my awesome wife be all pregnant and brilliant on tele - I'm yet again reminded I pulled a blinder (literally and metaphorically).
Well THAT was amazing. I can't believe I now get to call
@KeeleyDonovan
my wife. Surrounded by our amazing family and the greatest friends two people could ever ask for - dancing, drinking, singing and GETTING MARRIED in the sunshine was the most fun I've ever had in my life...
Seems like two minutes ago me and
@KeeleyDonovan
were enjoying many shenanigans at
@glastonbury
- now I'm watching it online drinking zero alcohol beer in case she goes into labour. Life's twists and turns eh?
#Glastonbury2020
Itβs hard to put into words just what a loss
@RadioAndrewE
is to local radio and the BBC. A rare thing in broadcasting - someone whoβs incredible talent is matched by his kindness, generosity and willingness to help others. A finer presenter, and gentleman you will never meet.
Me &
@KeeleyDonovan
just bought a load of worktops which had no chance of fitting in the car. Up pulled Steve, a total stranger who insisted on putting them in his van and bringing them home for us. Right now we need people like Steve. Steve gives us hope. Be more Steve.
#Steve
Usually when someone in your office sits on your knee, pukes, and then does three REALLY big poo's there'd be words, possibly a disciplinary. Today it was weirdly cute.
#newdad
#workingfromhome
This is my awesome Grandma Enid - a beautiful person who's 99 years old today. Celebrating it through double glazing isn't what we expected, but you can't keep this game old bird down, nor can you stop her smile. She's a bloody diamond she is, happy birthday you lovely thing.
Considering what's happened recently and the hate that people in the public eye get. Can we just take a moment and say thanks to Rosie (one of a few people) who's knitted baby clothes and sent them to my awesome wife
@KeeleyDonovan
. There are good people out there.
#BeKind
It's really interesting to see the reaction & anger about
@GreggsOfficial
vegan 'sausage' roll. Firstly vegans &veggies can like the taste of meat but not the thought of an animal dying. Secondly some do it for environmental reasons. Thirdly IT HAS NO IMPACT ON YOUR LIFE. Relax.
About to go on the wireless for the first time since being a dad. Scout *currently* sleeping. Never been so nervous about doing a broadcast. Apologies to
@RichardStead
in advance for what may happen...
Standing in solidarity with my BBC friends on the picket line. Plans to cut local services are ill-conceived, poorly planned and frankly ridiculous. Neither the staff nor audience are being treated with the respect they deserve.
#KeepBBCLocalRadioLocal
As if creating a small person wasn't enough this year, my terrific wife
@keeleydonovan
has been working her socks off with her awesome team to make amazing Tele. Make sure you watch it tonight to see just how lucky I am, and how she made PPE cool again way before the pandemic.
I'M ON THE RUDDY RADIO FOR THE FIRST TIME IN SIX MONTHS! Anything could happen...be nice yeah? Quick question, what have I missed that's happened in your world?
#goodtobeback
@BBCLeeds
If someone would've told my 21 year old self that by 8:57am on a Saturday, I'd have been to the tip, done a shop, brought a socket set and pressed my tofu - I'd have wept and wanted to punch me. Today I feel like a king.
As expected
@TheTonyHadley
was a gem - there are very few people who can tell an anecdote involving Vodka, Brady, Freddie Mercury and an impromptu duet in front of 40,000 people. What a dude.
Hello friends!
Bit of belated news...I've left BBC Radio Leeds (as a permenant staff member - I'll be popping up now and again in the future).
I've spent the past couple of months enjoying family time & other projects (building the world's greatest shed).
When your Mrs
@KeeleyDonovan
whitens her teeth - and insists on using the only reusable straws we've got. This ladies and gents, is the reality of tackling climate change.
#ClimateEmergency
I said some time ago there are few finer things in life than heading to the pub with your mates on a Saturday...I stand by that, but going with the wife
@KeeleyDonovan
comes a close second...
It's a tough day for some of the best people in the business. Local radio is a lifeline for many. Its not just about news, music & sport - it's about feeling connected & part of your community. Forced on them by the license fee being frozen. Bad times.
Mega emotional seeing
@GrationHarry
present his last show for
@BBCLookNorth
tonight. A man who's talent is matched by his loveliness. Pleasure to work with and call a friend - and a man who made our wedding day unforgettable by marrying me &
@KeeleyDonovan
! God speed H!
π¬"He made people feel like they mattered when he spoke to them"
ποΈFormer presenter of
@BBCLookNorth
Harry Gration has died at the age of 71.
π«Ά5 Live's
@johnnyianson
shares his memories of his friend and colleague.
π§Listen on
@BBCSounds
Final day of the silly o'clock alarms on
@bbc5live
brekky today.
As every thanks to the abso-bloody-ruddy lovely
@rachelburden
for making it just GREAT.
Back again next weekend chumzzzz.
This is the face of a man who's about to do his first live radio in 3 months. Someone remind me of the words i'm not supposed to say...if any accidentally come out, I blame
@StephanieHirst
For those who want to monetise hate, profit from intolerance, weaponise race and cause misery for personal gain - note the story of Alex Belfield.
For those who think harassing behind a keyboard cause no real harm, read the story of
@benhewis
and others.
1/2
Today Alex Belfield has been sentenced to 5 years 26 weeks in prison for his stalking myself and 7 others. I'm thrilled justice has been served & excited to move on with the rest of my life.
For anyone interested in what I was subjected to, below is my victim personal statement:
As the BBC set up a shortwave radio service for the people of Ukraine after their TV and Internet is attacked.
Ask yourself - is this the kind of organisation we want to defund?
#Ukraine
Well THAT was unexpected. How joyous to even be nominated, but this. Well that's just great. Thanks to
@bkb_official1
and all the crazy people that let me into their world. Genuinely made up.
#SJA2017
Fierce words from the Leeds election count as
@FabianLeedsNE
says Boris Johnson βthe most untrustworthy, dishonest sociopath Iβve ever come acrossβ.
#BBCElection
#GE2019
3hours, 3 minutes and 20 seconds later and I'm done!
@RunYorkshire
you were awesome, it's days like this you really see how bloody great people are. Thanks for the support/sponsorship/lovely words every bit of it carried me round today. Time for beer.
To the woman who spat all kinds of angry words with awesome venom at me today: I'm sorry I delayed your journey by a couple of seconds. Enjoy the sunshine, be around nice people, do things you love - that kind of anger isn't good for anyone. Be well...oh and get some cats.
Getting to stand in for
@ColinMurray
has been one of the highlights of my career. Doing the mixtape was a double privilege. The sense of community that heβs created speaks volumes to how valuable this show has been to people. 1/2
The last Midnight Mixtape playlist!
I shall now read through all the texts + tweets no matter how long that takes. Appreciate every single one. π
Absolute honour to go to bed with you all for four years. π₯°
Conversation. Connection. Community.
β€οΈπ»
@weeclaire
@PauldMcNamee
If Marcelo Bielsa isn't able to herd sheep down Briggate after this, then Leeds City council are in dereliction of their duties.
#lufc
#freedomforbielsa
Mad to think after 6 years this'll be my last Weekend of Breakfast shows. Really excited to be taking on the Evening show from mid-may, but have loved being up with you lovely/weird/wonderful people. Come join me the other end of the day yeah? Promise? I'll hunt you down if not.
So unbelievably sad to lose Dom. You could not hope for a more optimistic & infectiously exciteable man. It was a joy to be on
@bbc5live
with him, always easing my nerves and making me feel comfortable - like I belonged there. What a thing to be able to do. What a loss
#dombusby
Lovely set-up to the weekend. An absolute joy to be on
@bbc5live
breakfast with the bloody lovely
@NinaWarhurst
, congrats on the latest addition to the family!*
*CATS. ARE. THE. BEST.
Tonight's vinyl has been inspired by the radio goddess
@StephanieHirst
- there are few people in the world that knows as much about radio and music as this women...when she speaks...LISTEN!
I had to leave my wife to go for a scan for our first baby on her own this week, but the upside is I can go get shit-faced with a load of like-minded strangers in an enclosed space today.
#PubsOpening
Maaaaan this is strange & sad in equal measure. Last LIVE show tonight, and final ever evening show tomorrow - just finished recording it and now straight into the studio for tonight's effort. I'll say more things about this tomorrow as it's too weird to say goodbye now!
Hey guys if you're looking for a good breakfast spot, have you thought about
@LBIAirport
? Check out their beans on toast, and it's only Β£6.95. Yup only SIX POUNDS NINETY FIVE!
As ever feeling immensely proud of the wife
@keeley
.donovan - you've never seen a finer looking women wearing PPE and a dry-suit learning what to do if her helicopter crashes. On Tele fronting another show, this time on
@bbctwo
- Powering Britain. What a girl.
Happy birthday to this pair of maniacs. I never thought I'd be the person wishing my pets a happy birthday, and it's completely
@KeeleyDonovan
's fault.
Why aren't the beans on the plate Gordon? You're charging Β£19 plus Β£2 service charge Gordon? WTF is a service charge on a fry up Gordon? And why is there basil in the middle of it Gordon?
GORDON?!
This journey sums up everything about Sri Lanka. We rode a packed train with the most incredible views, and was then smuggled into the frieght car with the vegetables and snack sellers. Locals spent the journey laughing with us, talking cricket and sharing peanuts. Joyous people.
Outraged to say tomorrow's
#inmyopinion
on
@bbc5live
with
@rachelburden
& myself is...
Deep breath....
Cats are rubbish pets π
That, frankly BONKERS, statement comes from
@BettyGlover_
. Tell me you dont agree?!
Reppin' Gary and Tony from 6am tomorrow.
Gimme a twoβ¦.and a four.
Pleasure to be here for your first brekky show on
@bbc5live
with the completely ace
@rachelburden
.
Howβs 2024 treating you so far?!
Well that was a thrill. Thanks to the bloody marvellous
@missconniemac
for being such a great partner on today's
@bbc5live
brekky show (sadly in a different studio). And big love to
@rickedwards1
for taking the day off to let this big idiot keep his seat warm. What a Friday...
Always an absolute thrill to look to my left and see radio royalty
@EllyOldroyd
as today's partner for
@bbc5live
brekky!!!
We're after your stories of the famous people who used to live in your house!
Mega proud of the wife
@KeeleyDonovan
presenting a live edition of
@BBCInsideOutYL
tonight - the first time in the show's history...I'm in work by the way, we're not a two-TV household.
#BBCRail
Feeling very blessed as me and the WIFE
@KeeleyDonovan
reminisce about Wedfest day 2(!). SOOOOOOOO much fun with and a huge chunk of joy and lunacy courtesy of the inimitable, indomitable, incomparable
@mikartistik
. I shall never forget my keys again as long as I live...
What's the absolute last thing you'd want to happen just seconds before you go on air?
@johnnyianson
will now demonstrate how to style it out like a pro.
Can we all wish
@KeeleyDonovan
luck today - off to join the
@BBCSofa
on a GLORIOUS weekend. I'm sure
@Hudsonweather
and
@harrylooknorth
will just let her sit on the back and look pretty. She's been practising lots by sitting on our couch watching Netflix for days on end.
It all started with wafer-thin ham: Lovely to speak to
@zebsoanes
about his friendship with probably the CUTEST fox in the world, and subsequent book - Meet Gaspard...just TRY and tell me she's not a keeper.
Feels like social media is now purely people telling me about new jobs and the awards they've won. So now's a good time to remind you I was
@leedsbeckett
's footy fourth team's Player Of The Year 2002.
#baller
Back in my spiritual home complete with MASSIVE BANNER just in case I forget where I am.
Lovely to be back, there's only one thing I can think of that I want to talk about....VHS TAPES!!!
Whats your enduring VHS memory?
There are very few places you can talk about politics, cats, Ford Fiestas and Sweet Caroline being an awful song.
But breakfast on
@bbc5live
is one of those places.
Pleasure to share it with the lovely
@BBCNuala
this morning.
A young lad just chucked his can in the street - after telling him that's not on, he starts to walk off, then gob shite says "do you wanna pick it up?". After more words he walks off. What are you meant to do then?
PS I'm now filled with a rage I can't get rid of.
If you're looking for the perfect accompaniment to weaning your baby like me and
@KeeleyDonovan
- then we highly recommend the Retro Show. A Christmas special on
@BBCLeeds
now. The biggest stories & tunes from the every year of the 70's, 80's and 90's.
Satisfaction guaranteed.
Last minute call-up for
@BBCYork
. On yer wireless from 6am - plenty to come including
#Diana60
doc,
#ArmedForcesWeek
, stained glass windows and strawberries. What's not to like?
HOT NEWS!
Really excited to be part of Digital Food Week with our very own show.
Catch me,
@larrybudd1
and
@BethParsons91
talking, eating & drinking our way around Leeds' best foodie joints in collaboration with
@LeedsIndieFood
&
@LeedsBID
Watch it here
On a morning like this it's important to remember somewhere out there is Captain Zappy, living the dream, like we were...three whole days ago.
#Zanzibar