Matt Carroll

My day usually kicks off in the most British way possible… with a good brew. There’s something about that first cuppa in the morning that feels like the brain finally switching on. Breakfast tends to be fairly simple, either a bowl of Shredded Wheat Bitesize or a couple of slices of toast. Nothing fancy, just enough fuel to get the day moving.

Once that’s done, I try to get a bit of movement in before the real work begins. Some days it’s a walk to clear the head, other days it’s a session at the gym. Either way, it helps wake me up properly and gets me in the right mindset for the day ahead.

After I’m back home and have had a shower (nobody wants a radio presenter who smells like the gym), it’s time to start preparing for the show. This is where the creative part of the job really kicks in. I’ll spend time writing links and planning what I’m going to talk about on air. A lot of the inspiration comes from things I’ve noticed over the last few days, stories in the news, something funny I’ve heard, or even just a random thought that pops into my head.

If something makes me laugh or feels like it might make someone else smile, it usually ends up going straight into the notebook. I’ve learned the hard way that if you don’t write those little ideas down immediately, they vanish just as quickly as they appeared.

Before heading out the door, I always make sure to spend some proper time with my wife and daughter. That bit of the day is important. Radio might be a huge part of my life, but family is always the centre of it.

Then it’s off to the studio.

Being a radio presenter is something I genuinely love. Every day is different, every show has its own moments, and there’s nothing quite like knowing you might have brightened someone’s day with a song, a story, or even a slightly daft comment.

For me, that’s what makes it the best job in the world. Making people smile for a living… I can’t think of a better role.