DLT resignation from Radio 1 - 1993

Quack, quack. Oops. DLT, the face and voice of a generation.

Like so many of his era, his radio life began aboard a ship. Home was a cramped bunk bed on Radio Caroline, until the illegitimate stations became truly illegal in August 1967.

Then, he was one of the many young pirates invited to join Radio 1, initially hosting ‘Pop North’ from Manchester. The following year, he assumed the Sunday morning show, then weekday lunchtimes, before moving back to Sunday mornings. From 1975, this Hairy Monster took over the teatime show, almost before it was designated drivetime, before becoming the third ever Radio 1 breakfast presenter, and thus the ‘Hairy Cornflake', in 1978.

After breakfast, DLT moved to weekday afternoons, lunchtimes, then weekend mornings. Darts. On the radio.

It’s maybe curious, or not so curious, that DLT is arguably best known on-air for his resignation which he chose to do live on-air in August 1993, just before Bannister descended with radical plans to bring the station into the 90s. Harangued by the press at the time, history has rightly been kinder to the architects of the new Radio 1.