BBC Radio 1 extends Greg James for the summer

Greg James will get an extra half hour on BBC Radio 1 Breakfast this summer to make up for his time off at Taylor Swift’s wedding(!).

The station says its summer 2026 schedule will begin on Monday 20 July, with Greg staying on air until 11am from Monday to Thursday.

The change means Radio 1 Breakfast will run for four hours during the summer, before the usual schedule returns on Monday 7 September, when Greg is back on from 7am to 10:30am.

Rickie Haywood-Williams, Melvin Odoom and Charlie Hedges will move to an 11am start during the same period, continuing with entertainment, music and Live Lounge performances.

On Fridays, Nat O’Leary and Vicky Hawkesworth will present Radio 1 Anthems from 10am to 11am, with songs from the 2000s, 10s and 20s.

Greg said: “I took some last minute days off for a destination wedding I had to go to and I need to make the time up to be honest so it feels like 30 mins a day over the summer is a good plan.”

Aled Haydn Jones, Head of BBC Radio 1, said the station was adjusting to changes in younger listeners’ routines over the summer.

Radio 1 will also broadcast live festival coverage from Ibiza, Malta and Reading and Leeds this summer, following earlier weekends at Radio 1’s Big Weekend, Download, TRNSMT and Parklife.