After 17 years on air, Radio 1’s Greg James has revealed that his real name isn’t really Greg James.
Ahead of the launch of his new book launch, The Kid Who Fell Through Time, the BBC host said he will be using his full name.
The familiar radio voice has worked at Radio 1 since 2017, and fans may have a hard time believing why the name was chosen.
In an interview on Kathy Burke’s podcast, Where There’s A Will, There’s A Wake, the 38-year-old said: “I’m writing a book. It’s my first non-fiction adult book.
“It’s gonna come out next year, and I was writing a chapter on my name.
“It’s turned into a bit of a secret, but it’s not a secret at all. In that Greg James is not my full name.”
On how he thought his real last name made him sound like ‘a school teacher’, Greg explained: “I was looking around at like Sara Cox, Scott Mills. So my full name, my surname is Milward.
Greg James has been working at Radio 1 since 2007 (Comic Relief/BBC Children in Need/Comic Relief via Getty Images)
“It’s like a teacher’s name. It’s like a headteacher’s name. Greg Milward.
“My dad was a headteacher and I was like, ‘Well, it’s probably not that cool. I don’t really like it that much’. So I chose Greg James.
“My regret is that I should have thought it through,” the radio presenter from East Hertfordshire added.
“Because by the time Radio 1 had sort of spotted me; I’d won this award basically, and Radio 1 were in touch, and before I knew it, I was doing a tryout show for them, and Greg James appeared in the Radio Times, in the listings, and I was like, ‘it’s too late, I can’t change it now.”
“And then it just went on and on and on, and I’m stuck with it now, I’m powerless to change it.
Greg James expresses some regret over his name (Joe Maher/Getty Images)
“I’m not too fussed about it, it’s an alright radio name, but I wish I’d been more creative.”
While sharing some regret over his name, Greg said he’s really enjoying his work at the moment, and has thanked fiancée Bella Mackie for being ‘one of the main reasons for this happiness’.
“This is Bella and in February she asked me to marry her,” he said of the journalist.
“I said yes immediately because she is the smartest, funniest and most beautiful person I’ve ever met.
“The only problem is she loves staying up into the early hours drinking as much as I do and this is not conducive with 5am alarms. That said, it’s been quite a year.”
