大象传媒

Tell us about your big break in the media?

I was writing gig reviews for our local paper in Aberdeen when I was still at school and that led me to applying to join DC Thomson鈥檚 editorial trainee scheme. I ended up working on Jackie magazine which was the most brilliant fun and such a great, eye opening experience for a fresh face teenage lad from the Granite City.

Have you always loved radio?

I have actually. My first radio shows were on Northsound Radio in Aberdeen in the mid-80s. It was a brilliant time to be there working alongside great broadcasters like Edi Stark, Nicky Campbell and the legend that was Richard Gordon. In fact Richard and I used to present a Saturday lunchtime show that combined music and sport. I played the tunes while he patiently explained to me the ins and outs of football. In fact he still has to do that for me whenever we are in a studio together. Mind you I have progressed a bit beyond his initial lesson of 鈥淎berdeen are the team in the red鈥� but not much!

You spent ten years travelling the world with the TV travel show Scottish Passport. What was that like?

Scottish Passport was one of many shows I presented at STV but I also did an arts and entertainment show with Janice Forsyth and a late night, raunchy game show which I鈥檇 rather forget about. Getting paid to go to amazing destinations around the world is everyone鈥檚 dream job and the truth is there was no downside to presenting Scottish Passport. It was hard work, low budget and manic but it was a total blast. I am enormously fortunate to have been given the chance to travel the world as a job.

You are quite into your running are you not?

I am, although I am not as fit as I want to be, or indeed as fit as I once was. Through my interest in running I work on quite a lot of the big running events including the London Marathon and The Great Scottish Run. I am the voice of the finish line on many of these, so if you鈥檝e ever taken part it was probably me who was encouraging you over the finish line.

I was honoured to be asked to work as an event presenter on the London 2012 Olympics and had the dream role of commentating on the marathons. It was truly one of the highlights of my career and an experience that will stay with me for the rest of my life. I can really understand why it means so much to the athletes taking part.

When you are not presenting Get It On what do you like to do?

I鈥檓 lucky in that my work involves spending time listening to music which is course is what most of us like to do when we are not working. There鈥檚 a real blurred line between my personal and work life and presenting Get It On is always fun and never really feels like tortuous work.

I like to keep fit by running and doing hot yoga and my current obsession (there are many) is baking bread. I can鈥檛 remember the last time I bought supermarket bread. I鈥檝e been reading lots of different bread books and have also gone on a couple of courses. I get a really thrill out of being able to create something so tasty out of some of the simplest ingredients known to man.

You spend so much time playing music what do you really like to listen to when you are not on air?

The great thing about the show is that it鈥檚 become something of a musical education for me and the team. I like to use Playlister to make my own playlists of stuff we鈥檝e played. I do love my country music though, especially the classic heartbreakin鈥� Nashville sounds. There鈥檚 a ton of new music that I鈥檝e been enjoying but if I had to pick one band it would be The Smiths and I never miss a chance to shoehorn them into the programme!