Annie Mac has announced that she is to leave BBC Radio 1 after seventeen years working at the station.
The Irish DJ said her departure was “all about time”, and said she wanted to devote more time to seeing her children and working on new projects.
It has since been confirmed that her weekday evening show, Future Sounds, will now be taken over by Clara Amfo.
Amfo will now be replaced on her mid-morning slot by Rickie Haywood-Williams, Melvin Odoom and Charlie Hedges.
Confirming her last show will take place on July 30, Annie wrote on Twitter: “It’s hard to articulate what this job has meant to me. It started in 2004 with Annie Mac’s Mashup on Thursday evenings. Then it was the big move to Fridays.
“Sunday nights was Switch with Grimmy and then The Musical Hot Water Bottle. Since March 2015 it has been every weeknight with the flagship new music show.
It’s time to tell you, my listeners, that after 17 years, my last show on @BBCR1 will take place on 30 July 2021. pic.twitter.com/Uy5KU6nHSF
— Annie Mac (@anniemacmanus) April 20, 2021
“I’m still in awe of the magic of music radio. Of the responsibility of handling these songs that are so powerful they can stop you in your tracks and make your emotions soar. I have never not walked out of the studio feeling lighter and happier than when I walked in.”
Discussing the reasons for her departure, she went on: “So why leave? It’s about time really. I need more time to see my kids in the evenings now they are both in school. I would like more time to write fiction and to create podcasts.
“I also love the idea of leaving the party (and make no mistake working at Radio 1 does feel like a party) with a huge smile on my face, when I’m still having the most fun I can.”
After thanking the artists who have featured on her show and BBC Radio 1 management, she reserved the last word for her listeners.
“In my time at Radio 1 I have fallen in and out of love, moved homes, climbed up the career ladder, got married and become a mother twice over, alongside you doing your versions of the same.
“Thank you for allowing me into your lives. Thank you for brightening my days. Thank you, thank you, thank you for listening.”
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