Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 1Xtra announces today that Twin B is to serve up a tasty new weekday breakfast show (7-10am) as part of a major revamp of the station's schedule.

Twin B moves to Breakfast after a successful stint on the weekend morning slot and he'll bring his cheeky energetic style to the slot, aiming to get young people up and ready for school.

Current breakfast show hosts Trevor Nelson and Gemma Cairney get a well deserved lie-in as they now go solo, with Trevor moving to the 10am-1pm weekday show featuring the 1Xtra Live Lounge and big name interviews and Gemma taking on weekday afternoons from 1-4pm. Westwood stays in the 4-7pm slot.

Twin B says: "I'm super excited about the prospect of waking up the nation on a weekday. I love 1Xtra! There's no other institution around with more passion for the music it plays. It's an honour to be asked to present such a massive show. Trevor and Gemma have left some huge shoes to fill... and I'm only a size 9! I can't wait!"

Trevor Nelson says: "I've enjoyed my time on the Breakfast Show – Gem and I have had a unique dynamic, but I am ready for a lie-in and eight hours sleep a night! With my new show I will be broadening the style of music I play as well as introducing a live music element and doing more in-depth interviews."

Gemma Cairney adds: "Getting up at 5am day after day, gaining a life-long friend in Trevor, a silver Sony for our efforts and learning what's really involved in the craft that is radio over the past two years has been immense. I love 1Xtra and I'm ready to go solo, so bring it on and expect havoc!"

Ben Cooper, Deputy Controller, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 1Xtra, says: "We're making these changes from a position of strength after we secured record listening figures in the last quarter. We want to continue to refresh our offer in order to grow the station and increase the number of young listeners we're bringing into the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ via a digital platform and we believe these changes will do just that."

As a result of these changes, rising star Nick Bright moves to weekend breakfast (7-10am) from early weekday breakfast; Charlie Sloth is set to front Saturdays (10am-1pm); CJ Beatz Sundays (10am–1pm) and Sarah-Jane Crawford shifts to weekend afternoons (1–4pm) from weekend breakfast.

In addition, from 1-3am every Saturday night/Sunday morning a new show is being introduced. The Specialists will allow a rotation of the DJs who host the 10pm weekday genre shows to be showcased across Radio 1 and Radio 1Xtra, with every six weeks a guest DJ from an up-and-coming genre being featured too. A further new two-hour The Mix Specialists show from 3-5am on Saturday night/Sunday morning will also allow a rotation of all the weekday 1am mix show DJs.

The introduction of the new schedule means that Rampage (Mike Anthony and Treble T); Max and Ras Kwame will leave the station. Seani B will no longer host a regular weekly show but will continue to work with 1Xtra in the future.

Ben Cooper, says: "They have all made significant contributions to Radio 1Xtra and I thank them for that. I wish them all well for the future."

The new schedule begins on Saturday 8 January 2011.

Notes to Editors

From 7pm on Saturday evenings to 7am on Sunday mornings, Radio 1 and Radio 1Xtra are simulcast.

Rampage currently present 10am-1pm, weekdays; Max, 1-4pm, weekdays; Saturday night/Sunday morning; Seani B, 3-5am, Saturday night/Sunday morning; and Ras Kwame, 5-7am on Sunday mornings.

Ronnie Herel presents weekend afternoons (1-4pm). He remains at the station to continue to present the RnB show on Mondays from 10pm-1am.

Fabio & Grooverider (currently Saturday night/Sunday morning 1am-3am) move to a new slot on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 1 – Sunday into Monday, 2-4am.

ER