WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Metro Radio's twentieth birthday celebrations, July, 1994.

As of February 25, 2014, these are the last known whereabouts of former Metro Radio presenters and staff. If any of this information is factually incorrect and requires updating, or you know the whereabout of personnel not included, please let me know as soon as possible via this website's e-mail address. Thank you in advance for any help that you can provide..

Giles Squire - finally left Metro Radio in December 1996 after a staggering twenty two and a half years!
In January 1997, Giles joined other ex-directors of the Metro Radio Group who left after the EMAP acquisition to become Group Programme Director of The Radio Partnership, with responsibility for eight radio stations (including the Signal Group and The Pulse).

During this time Giles also helped win the new regional radio license for the South Coast 'Wave 105.2 FM' and was very active with its launch. Early in 2000 the Wireless Group acquired The Radio Partnership and Giles once again re-joined colleagues to form Forever Broadcasting and acquired under performing stations like Crash and Surf and renamed them Juice.

In the summer of 2001 Giles was approached by the Capital Radio Group and asked to take on the Group Programming responsibility for their Century brand. 

In April 2005 Giles left and set up his own consultancy (working with BBC Local Radio). Giles was made a Fellow of the Radio Academy in July 2005 and has since sat on the steering committee for The Sony Radio Awards and has been a regular judge. Since 2008 Giles has concentrated on music management and runs his own record label. He now resides in South West France.

John Olley - after Metro he worked at BBC Radio Newcastle as a radio journalist and producer. Later, he worked on air for CFM in Carlisle, for the now defunct Radio Magpie station transmitting on match days from St James Park, and most recently aided in test transmissions for Durham FM.  He still resides in the North-East region and is currently working as the Assistant Director of Media And Arts at Darlington College.

Rod Lucas - Presenter at Metro Radio 1978/80.  Managing Director of Lucas Media. He's still very active in radio and is involved in various English speaking stations in Spain. Rod also owns Lucas Films (indie film company). Rod's also founder of The  Radio School. Check out www.RodLucas.com

Jonathan Morrell - Presenter at Metro Radio 1990/91.  Presenter Real Radio North East. Has also worked for BBC Radio Cleveland, BBC Radio Newcastle and also at ITV Tyne Tees.

Big Phil (Harvey Philips) - sadly passed away.

Nicky Brown - Nick set up Northern Profile PR in 1994, which grew into a multimillion PR operation with offices in Newcastle, Leeds, Manchester and London. In 2004 he sold the business for a seven figure sum!  He is currently working for the company which bought Northern Profile during a golden handcuffs period!

Nick quit broadcasting fulltime in 1991, although he continued to present one programme a week for BBC North's Night Network of stations until 1995. After leaving Metro, Nick had a spell hosting Children's ITV and presented programmes on Capital and BBC North.  In 1993 it was revealed in the News of the World that Radio 1 controller Johnny Beerling was lining Nicky, Blue Peter's John Leslie, Kiss FM's Sonya Fraser and Sky News'  Scott Chisholm, to take over from Simon Mayo.

Beerling left the BBC shortly afterwards and Nick says this was his biggest bit of luck - "If I'd got the Radio 1 gig I would not have started Northern Profile and achieved what I have and the fabulous lifestyle I now have".

Nick was very sad to hear of the untimely death of Jim Brown, who not only produced Nicky's show but also starred as 'Bertie the cleaner', alongside Duncan Wood, now of GMTV, who played 'Clever Trevor with the weather'.  Nick still lives in the north east of England, is married to Jacky and has a son called James.
(ed. - Thanks to Jacky Brown for the update on Nicky)

Mark Forrest - was at Classic FM, now at BBC local radio presenting networked evening programmes.

Don Dwyer - returned to Australia to become involved in talk radio.

Dave Gregory - involved with voice-overs and presentation.  Has his own site at davegregory.com

John Coulson - Sadly passed away at a young age..

Len Groat - One of the original Metro Radio line-up, Len now lives in Portugal and contributes to the Jinglemad forums. He left Metro Radio to work in Nottingham at Radio Trent 301 in 1976 and managed that station's AM/FM split and the end of its simulcasting in 1989. Setting up Radio Trent's separate Medium Wave AM service, Solid Gold GEM-AM, he managed the station for several years until the company was bought out.

Happily we can still listen to him as he's still involved in radio, presenting on the internet's Solid Gold GEM-AM, Radio Like It Used to Be. Catch up with him here.

James Whale - the first Night Owls programme presenter on Metro Radio he has worked for a plethora of broadcasting companies, written several highly interesting books, and has done a huge amount of fantastic voluntary work for kidney charities. He has presented Drivetime on LBC News Radio in London and has been a presenter on talkSPORT. Currently working in BBC local radio.

Steve King - reverted to his real surname (Wells) when he joined Capital Gold London, when it opened in 1988. Spent five years in London, then nine years at Piccadilly Radio in Manchester, first as presenter then programme manager of "Piccadilly 1152". Steve also worked for Smooth Radio Manchester and Real Radio Yorkshire before returning to the North East on Smooth Radio.

Kevin Rowntree - went on to present the Sunday morning phone-in on BBC Radio Newcastle for many years and lived in the Tyne Valley. Sadly passed away in April, 2014. 

Neville Wanless - still involved with Tyneside Hospital Radio and theatre.

Bill Steel - one of the original Metro Radio line-up, Bill became chief continuity announcer at ITV Tyne Tees Television and worked there for almost two decades. Since then he's been involved in broadcasting as a presenter at Century FM and a news reader on the now-defunct Sky DAB north east news channel, DNN.

Marc Paul - sadly passed away at a young age

John Lamb - is now a Commercial Pilot working for flyGlobespan in Glasgow.

Dave Burrows - lives in London.  No longer in radio.

Mark Seaman - was involved with the long-defunct Radio West in Bristol in the 1980s. Became Network Controller for the GWR Radio Group in the mid-1980s, and initiated Premier Radio in London in the mid 1990s.  Appeared on Radio Cleveland in 2000 presenting lunchtimes.  Has been writing and acting for some years, appearing in Channel 4's Brookside, and the cult film, Human Traffic.  He has also been senior producer, presenter and music manager at BBC Radio Swindon and BBC Radio Wiltshire.  He has written a number of short plays that have picked up a variety of awards over the past few years. Currently broadcasting on BBC local radio.

Steve Coleman - has worked at  Radio 2 Dubai, presented the Breakfast Show for Tyne and Wear's Magic 1152.  Thanks to Dave Porter for supplying this information. 

Mike Larvin - worked behind the scenes on the Night Owls programme with James Whale and at outside broadcasts.  Now Professor of Surgery at University of Nottingham Medical School.

Laurie Giles - After being the classical music columnist in the Hartlepool Mail, Laurie sadly passed away in January, 2013.

Marjorie Lofthouse - last heard on BBC Radio 4.

Andy Craig - worked for ITV Tyne Tees Television as a continuity announcer in the late 1970s/early 1980s.

Paddy MacDee - currenly presenting on BBC Radio Newcastle.

Malcolm Herdman - worked at Tyne Tees television

Brian Clough -was a press photographer for the Northern Echo and presented on Smooth Radio North East.

Graham Courtney - upon leaving Metro Radio, became news and sports editor at TFM Radio, Stockton-on-Tees in 1995, then worked for four years as press officer at Newcastle United Football Club.  Also set up an internet media business, worked for Black and White Public Relations in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.  He also resumed a freelance broadcasting career and was north eastern football correspondent for talkSPORT.  He was also chief officer with the Independent Football Commission (IFC).

Charles Harrison - now retired but also involved with a video company with former Metro Radio news editor, Tony Cartledge.

Peter Slater - presented on BBC5 Live.

Bill Arthur - was involved with Sky TV's coverage of Rugby League.

Bob Cass - was working for the Mail on Sunday.

Alan Robson - still presenting Night Owls on Metro Radio

Dave Bray - was at Garrison Radio and at Magic 1152.

Tony Crosby - now a lawyer.

Mark Goodier - was at BBC Radio 1, Classic FM then networked Smooth Radio.

Russ Williams - was at Virgin Radio

Jeremy Vine - lunchtime presenter on BBC Radio 2,

Alan Twelvetree - was involved in management at Sunderland's Empire Theatre 

Dave Porter - presented on BBC local radio in the north east and Cumbria. 

Lee Garrett - now a train driver.

Reverend Joe Poulter - sadly Joe died in October 2006. His son Michael was a Broadcast Assistant and occasional Presenter at BBC Radio Newcastle.  Thanks to Dave Porter for supplying this sad information. 

Gabby Yorath (now Gabby Logan) -  has presented on and introduced a multitude of television sports and entertainment programmes on the BBC and other stations.

Denise Robertson - now presenting on television with Richard and Judy
Mike Graham - Mike, real name Mike Grehan, is now one of the worlds leading experts in search engine placement. He jets around the world talking about search engine placement and has written the definitive guide to the subject 'Search Engine Marketing', the third edition soon to be published

Tony Cartledge - presented the breakfast show on BBC Radio Newcastle for a number of years, and then presented the Sunday Morning phone-in after Kevin Rowntree retired. He went on to work freelance for ITV Tyne Tees Televsion and had his own production company that made the Sunday Interview programmes for Tyne Tees.

Brian Lister - Metro Radio's Technical Operations Supervisor from 1974.  He later became the General Manager at Radio Tees after the Metro Radio takeover in 1986, and guided it through the transformation into TFM.  He has since gone on to work in senior management positions at a number of commercial radio stations.

Jim Brown -  A producer for Metro Radio and then TalkSPORT.  A stalwart of radio in the north east, he has sadly died at the age of just 49.

Malcolm Hall -  Worked at Metro Radio when it was launched, then went to Radio Orwell in 1975, and then worked for a NE video company. In 1986 he set up his own video production company in Washington.  Semi retired in 2001 and now lives in Andalucia, Spain and runs a local English station in Albox called Valle Radio.

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