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Gay BBC Radio 1 host Nick Grimshaw has pulled in the lowest audience for the station’s breakfast show for almost seven years during his first months in the job – however the number of young listeners is up.
In September, the 28-year-old took over from Chris Moyles who on occasion, during his eight and a half year reign angered gay rights campaigners by some of his allegedly anti-gay jokes and questionable antics.
However, station bosses will be pleased to see that Grimshaw’s figures include an increase of nearly a quarter of a million listeners in the 15 to 24 age range.
Radio 1 controller Ben Cooper said: “I’m delighted with the figures and they have exceeded my expectation for a brand new breakfast show. This has been the biggest schedule change in a generation which has resulted in the station’s audience getting younger.”
In October, Grimshaw admitted that he enjoyed using the gay dating app Grindr for “pranks”.