Why did Chris Moyles leave Radio 1?
FOR many, Chris Moyles will be best known for his presenting slot on BBC Radio 1.
But in 2012, he sensationally quit the station after eight years.
Why did Chris Moyles leave Radio 1?
Chris Moyles left Radio 1 in September 2012.
He had been presenting the show since 2004 and was replaced by one of the station's specialists DJs, Nick Grimshaw.
In 2012, the BBC was reportedly under pressure to find a younger audience for Radio 1.
The average age of listeners for Moyles' slot was 33.
A year earlier, Moyles had signed a contract that would have kept him with the station until 2014.
But just 12 months later, he decided to quit live on air.
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Putting on some sad music, the radio host informed his listeners of his decision to leave the show.
On July 11, 2012, Moyles said: "I wanted to tell you myself. I didn't want you to see it in the newspapers or on Twitter.
"A couple more months of us. Then it's someone else's turn.
"Thank you for listening."
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What did Chris Moyles say about leaving the BBC?
In an interview with The Sun in 2020, Moyles said: "Radio 1 is a conveyor belt, and at some time you will fall off it, because of age or not being relevant any more.
"The story goes I was too old for the show.
"I was 38 when they took us off. They recently hired some DJs who were that age.
"The show is yours for a while – it is like renting a house for a bit."
Moyles, who joined Radio X in 2015, elaborated on his comments during a chat on Ross Kemp's podcast saying: "I was a bit miffed that the story that went out was that I was too old and I had got fired.
"I knew I wasn’t going to be doing that show for ever. I thought they handled it really badly.
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"Then when [Grimshaw's] show failed and the listening figures fell, I was like, 'Not that f-ing easy, is it boys?' Not aimed at Nick but at Radio 1 in general.
"The show lost a million-and-a-half almost overnight. They didn’t get them back!"