Wes Butters
Encyclopedia
Wes Butters is a radio broadcaster, formerly of BBC Radio 1
, and writer.
between 1995 and 1997 where he gained a National Diploma in Design & Media Communications, followed by a BA (Hons) Radio between 1997 and 1998.
Roadwatch he shortened his name to Wes Butters. After a year presenting traffic and travel bulletins on local North West radio stations plus periods on 96.5 Radio Wave (Blackpool), Wish FM
(Wigan) and Century 105, he was offered the evening show on Century 106
in Nottingham. He left the station in 2000 to move to Newcastle as Head of Music and mid-morning presenter for Galaxy North East.
show on BBC Radio 1
in February 2003, now renamed The Official Chart Show with Wes. A change in the show's format led to greater coverage of top-selling albums and an end to the need for every entry in the Top 40 singles chart to be played.
He regularly stood in for Scott Mills
- first on early breakfast, then on drive-time. He also deputised for Chris Moyles
on the prestigious Radio 1 breakfast show on Bank and Christmas Holidays.
Working closely with Top of the Pops
he interviewed hundreds of popstars including Kylie Minogue
, Destiny's Child
, George Michael
and The Black Eyed Peas
.
In November 2004 it was revealed that Butters would leave Radio 1 the following February and the chart would undergo further changes to its format.
Butters was regularly heard on the BBC World Service
as well. He sat in for Steve Wright on Wright Round the World and was used as their voice for Live 8
.
. It was the world's first professional pod-casting company using names such as Tony Blackburn
, Paul Gambaccini
, Gary Davies
and Terry Christian
to record tailor-made programmes for MP3 players.
This coincided with the release of his Crazy Frog
record (that he'd premiered on an early breakfast show the previous November). Under the guise of Pondlife the record went in at Number 11 and remained in the UK Top 40 for 5 weeks.
, winning a Silver Sony award for Best Breakfast Show and an Arqiva nomination for Best UK Presenter in 2006.
In May 2007 he was voted North West England Presenter of the Year in the radio industry magazine X-Trax.
It was announced in June 2007 that Wes had "had enough of early starts" and that he wanted more time to focus on his other projects. Keen to keep him on the station he agreed with Galaxy to do a short afternoon show but in April 2008 he revealed that he would leave the group completely.
At the end of July 2008 Wes enjoyed another stint on breakfast, this time sitting in for Shaun Keaveny
on BBC 6 Music
.
network and can be heard each Sunday from 7pm. Features on the show include 'The Official Top Ten' which he asks listeners to text in for things like "The Official Top Ten Bills You Didn't Know You Had To Pay Until A Brown Envelope Turned Up This Week Saying You Had To". He will then countdown his ten favourites. Another feature is the 'Facebook Flashmob', in which he chooses a different celebrity's Facebook account each week, for listeners to add. The celeb then gets thousands of requests from nowhere!
He also presents other shows either on Bank Holidays or when the normal presenter(s) is absent. He has stood in for Ditchy & Salty on Breakfast, Darren Parks, Debbie Mac and most notably David Heane on the Evening Show and High School Days. He usually presents Breakfast on Bank Holiday Mondays on Real Radio Northwest.
, Top of the Pops
, Liquid News
, Celebrity Fame Academy, Record of the Year and BBC television news, in addition to a range of children's programmes.
As a voice-over, Wes has been heard on An Audience with
Take That, An Audience with
Lionel Ritchie and The Brit Awards, as well as the Top of the Pops rundown and ads for Asda.
He has written for The Guardian
newspaper and his first book came out in October 2008 (Kenneth Williams
Unseen, HarperCollins
). He also wrote the acclaimed two-part documentary The Pain of Laughter - The Last Days of Kenneth Williams
for BBC Radio 4
, broadcast in April 2008, which is available on his website.
His second book is entitled Whatshisname, The Life and Death of Charles Hawtrey
and on its release was the number one best selling biography on Amazon. (After it had also been the number one pre-ordered biography.)
According to BBC Radio 7's website, Wes is adapting his Hawtrey biography for a TV film and is currently writing a biography of 1960's playwright Joe Orton
.
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
, and writer.
Early life
Butters attended Bule Hill High School in Salford, and studied at the University of SalfordUniversity of Salford
The University of Salford is a campus university based in Salford, Greater Manchester, England with approximately 20,000 registered students. The main campus is about west of Manchester city centre, on the A6, opposite the former home of the physicist, James Prescott Joule and the Working Class...
between 1995 and 1997 where he gained a National Diploma in Design & Media Communications, followed by a BA (Hons) Radio between 1997 and 1998.
Radio career
On joining AAThe Automobile Association
The Automobile Association , a British motoring association founded in 1905 was demutualised in 1999 to become a private limited company which currently provides car insurance, driving lessons, breakdown cover, loans and motoring advice, and other services...
Roadwatch he shortened his name to Wes Butters. After a year presenting traffic and travel bulletins on local North West radio stations plus periods on 96.5 Radio Wave (Blackpool), Wish FM
Wish FM
Wish FM is a British Independent Local Radio that serves the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan in Greater Manchester and the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens, Merseyside...
(Wigan) and Century 105, he was offered the evening show on Century 106
Heart 106
Gem 106, previously known as Heart East Midlands, is a regional radio station broadcasting to the East Midlands, owned and operated by Orion Media.-History:...
in Nottingham. He left the station in 2000 to move to Newcastle as Head of Music and mid-morning presenter for Galaxy North East.
Radio 1
In December 2002, following extensive speculation in the press and online, it was announced that Butters would be taking over as host of the Official UK Top 40UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
show on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
in February 2003, now renamed The Official Chart Show with Wes. A change in the show's format led to greater coverage of top-selling albums and an end to the need for every entry in the Top 40 singles chart to be played.
He regularly stood in for Scott Mills
Scott Mills
Scott Robert Mills is a British radio DJ, television presenter and occasional actor, best known for presenting The Scott Mills Show on BBC Radio 1...
- first on early breakfast, then on drive-time. He also deputised for Chris Moyles
Chris Moyles
Christopher David Moyles is an English radio and television presenter and author, who currently presents The Chris Moyles Show on BBC Radio 1 and Chris Moyles' Quiz Night on Channel 4....
on the prestigious Radio 1 breakfast show on Bank and Christmas Holidays.
Working closely with Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
he interviewed hundreds of popstars including Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
, Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American R&B girl group whose final line-up comprised lead singer Beyoncé Knowles alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Formed in 1997 in Houston, Texas, Destiny's Child members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name Girl's Tyme...
, George Michael
George Michael
George Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley...
and The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
.
In November 2004 it was revealed that Butters would leave Radio 1 the following February and the chart would undergo further changes to its format.
Butters was regularly heard on the BBC World Service
BBC World Service
The BBC World Service is the world's largest international broadcaster, broadcasting in 27 languages to many parts of the world via analogue and digital shortwave, internet streaming and podcasting, satellite, FM and MW relays...
as well. He sat in for Steve Wright on Wright Round the World and was used as their voice for Live 8
Live 8
Live 8 was a string of benefit concerts that took place on 2 July 2005, in the G8 states and in South Africa. They were timed to precede the G8 Conference and summit held at the Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder, Scotland from 6–8 July 2005; they also coincided with the 20th anniversary of Live Aid...
.
After Radio 1
Soon after his final chart rundown on 30 January 2005 the press announced the launch of podshows.com, a joint venture by Butters and fellow broadcaster Daryl DenhamDaryl Denham
Daryl Denham is a British radio DJ, and songwriter, currently presenting the drive-time show at Real Radio in Yorkshire.-Early career:Denham's career started at school, where he was active in producing pop music productions in school concerts, organizing pop quizzes and writing and performing...
. It was the world's first professional pod-casting company using names such as Tony Blackburn
Tony Blackburn
Tony Blackburn is an English disc jockey, who broadcast on the "pirate" stations Radio Caroline and Radio London in the 1960s and was the first disc jockey to broadcast on BBC Radio 1 in 1967. In 2002 he was the winner of the ITV reality TV programme I'm a Celebrity.....
, Paul Gambaccini
Paul Gambaccini
Paul Matthew Gambaccini is a radio and television presenter in the United Kingdom...
, Gary Davies
Gary Davies
Gary Davies is a British broadcaster. During the 1980s and 1990s he was a BBC Radio 1 disc jockey and also a regular presenter of Top of the Pops.-Early career:...
and Terry Christian
Terry Christian
Terry Christian is a British television and radio presenter whose credits include Channel 4's late night Youth Entertainment show The Word and ITV1 moral issues talk show It's My Life...
to record tailor-made programmes for MP3 players.
This coincided with the release of his Crazy Frog
Crazy Frog
Crazy Frog, originally known as Adam King, is a computer-animated character created in 2003 by Erik Wernquist. Marketed by the ringtone provider Jamba!, the animation was originally created to accompany a sound effect produced by Daniel Malmedahl in 1997 while attempting to imitate the sound of a...
record (that he'd premiered on an early breakfast show the previous November). Under the guise of Pondlife the record went in at Number 11 and remained in the UK Top 40 for 5 weeks.
Wes@Breakfast
In October 2005 it was revealed that Butters had agreed a deal with Galaxy and returned to the airwaves at Galaxy ManchesterGalaxy Manchester
Capital Manchester is a Manchester, England radio station owned by the Global Radio as part of the nine-station Capital network specialising in mainstream music...
, winning a Silver Sony award for Best Breakfast Show and an Arqiva nomination for Best UK Presenter in 2006.
In May 2007 he was voted North West England Presenter of the Year in the radio industry magazine X-Trax.
It was announced in June 2007 that Wes had "had enough of early starts" and that he wanted more time to focus on his other projects. Keen to keep him on the station he agreed with Galaxy to do a short afternoon show but in April 2008 he revealed that he would leave the group completely.
At the end of July 2008 Wes enjoyed another stint on breakfast, this time sitting in for Shaun Keaveny
Shaun Keaveny
Shaun William Keaveny is a British broadcaster, who presents the breakfast show on digital radio station BBC 6 Music.- Career :He played guitar for John Ariss in the student band Mosque between 1987 and 1993....
on BBC 6 Music
BBC 6 Music
BBC 6 Music is one of the BBC's digital radio stations, was launched on 11 March 2002 and originally codenamed Network Y. It was the first national music radio station to be launched by the BBC in 32 years....
.
Wes At The Weekend
Wes use to present a weekly show for the Real RadioReal Radio
Real Radio is a network of adult contemporary independent local radio stations in England, Scotland and Wales and is operated by . Each station broadcasts local breakfast through to drive time shows and network programming in the evening and through the night...
network and can be heard each Sunday from 7pm. Features on the show include 'The Official Top Ten' which he asks listeners to text in for things like "The Official Top Ten Bills You Didn't Know You Had To Pay Until A Brown Envelope Turned Up This Week Saying You Had To". He will then countdown his ten favourites. Another feature is the 'Facebook Flashmob', in which he chooses a different celebrity's Facebook account each week, for listeners to add. The celeb then gets thousands of requests from nowhere!
He also presents other shows either on Bank Holidays or when the normal presenter(s) is absent. He has stood in for Ditchy & Salty on Breakfast, Darren Parks, Debbie Mac and most notably David Heane on the Evening Show and High School Days. He usually presents Breakfast on Bank Holiday Mondays on Real Radio Northwest.
Radio 4 Extra
As of May 2009, Butters is a continuity announcer on digital speech network, BBC Radio 4 Extra where he introduces a range of classic comedy and drama from the BBC's archive.Television and writing
Butters has appeared on many TV programmes including Never Mind the BuzzcocksNever Mind the Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks is a comedy panel game television show with a pop music theme, currently without a permanent presenter. It stars Phill Jupitus and Noel Fielding as team captains. The show is produced by Talkback Thames for the BBC, and is usually aired on BBC Two...
, Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
, Liquid News
Liquid News
Liquid News was the daily round up of entertainment news for BBC Three running from 30th May 2000 to 1st April 2004. It was originally a vehicle for presenter Christopher Price...
, Celebrity Fame Academy, Record of the Year and BBC television news, in addition to a range of children's programmes.
As a voice-over, Wes has been heard on An Audience with
An Audience with...
An Audience with... is a British entertainment television show produced by ITV Studios, in which a host, usually a singer or comedian, performs for an invited audience of celebrity guests, interspersed with questions from the audience, in a light hearted revue/tribute style.The show began as An...
Take That, An Audience with
An Audience with...
An Audience with... is a British entertainment television show produced by ITV Studios, in which a host, usually a singer or comedian, performs for an invited audience of celebrity guests, interspersed with questions from the audience, in a light hearted revue/tribute style.The show began as An...
Lionel Ritchie and The Brit Awards, as well as the Top of the Pops rundown and ads for Asda.
He has written for The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
newspaper and his first book came out in October 2008 (Kenneth Williams
Kenneth Williams
Kenneth Charles Williams was an English comic actor and comedian. He was one of the main ensemble in 26 of the Carry On films, and appeared in numerous British television shows, and radio comedies with Tony Hancock and Kenneth Horne.-Life and career:Kenneth Charles Williams was born on 22 February...
Unseen, HarperCollins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
). He also wrote the acclaimed two-part documentary The Pain of Laughter - The Last Days of Kenneth Williams
Kenneth Williams
Kenneth Charles Williams was an English comic actor and comedian. He was one of the main ensemble in 26 of the Carry On films, and appeared in numerous British television shows, and radio comedies with Tony Hancock and Kenneth Horne.-Life and career:Kenneth Charles Williams was born on 22 February...
for BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
, broadcast in April 2008, which is available on his website.
His second book is entitled Whatshisname, The Life and Death of Charles Hawtrey
Charles Hawtrey (film actor)
George Frederick Joffre Hartree , known as Charles Hawtrey, was an English comedy actor and musician.Beginning at a young age as a boy soprano, he made several records before moving on to the radio...
and on its release was the number one best selling biography on Amazon. (After it had also been the number one pre-ordered biography.)
According to BBC Radio 7's website, Wes is adapting his Hawtrey biography for a TV film and is currently writing a biography of 1960's playwright Joe Orton
Joe Orton
John Kingsley Orton was an English playwright.In a short but prolific career lasting from 1964 until his death, he shocked, outraged and amused audiences with his scandalous black comedies...
.
Personal Life
- He lives with his girlfriend in what he describes as "a leafy part of Salford."
- He has a daughter whom both of his books are dedicated to.
- He suffers from colitisColitisIn medicine, colitis refers to an inflammation of the colon and is often used to describe an inflammation of the large intestine .Colitides may be acute and self-limited or chronic, i.e...
and often helps to raise awareness of the condition to help his "fellow sufferers."
Trivia
- He is a fan of Laurel & HardyLaurel and HardyLaurel and Hardy were one of the most popular and critically acclaimed comedy double acts of the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema...
, the Carry On filmsCarry On filmsThe Carry On films are a series of low-budget British comedy films, directed by Gerald Thomas and produced by Peter Rogers. They are an energetic mix of parody, farce, slapstick and double entendres....
, and Elton JohnElton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
. - He has appeared in Love ActuallyLove ActuallyLove Actually is a 2003 British romantic comedy film written and directed by Richard Curtis. The screenplay delves into different aspects of love as shown through ten separate stories involving a wide variety of individuals, many of whom are shown to be interlinked as their tales progress...
, ShamelessShamelessShameless is a British television drama series set in Manchester on the fictional Chatsworth council estate. Produced by Company Pictures for Channel 4, the first seven-episode series aired weekly on Tuesday nights at 10pm from 13 January 2004...
, and a Matt GossMatt GossMatthew Weston Goss is an English singer and songwriter currently based in Los Angeles. He was the lead singer of 1980s pop group Bros, which also featured his twin brother Luke Goss as drummer and Craig Logan as bass player...
video. - He studied for his National Diploma in media at the same University building as Peter KayPeter KayPeter John Kay is an English comedian, writer, actor, director and producer. His work includes That Peter Kay Thing , Phoenix Nights , Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere , Britain's Got the Pop Factor... and other independent productions which have included two sell out tours.-Early career:Peter Kay...
and Christopher EcclestonChristopher EcclestonChristopher Eccleston is an English stage, film and television actor. His films include Let Him Have It, Shallow Grave, Elizabeth, 28 Days Later, Gone in 60 Seconds, The Others, and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra...
. - He admitted on his Real RadioReal RadioReal Radio is a network of adult contemporary independent local radio stations in England, Scotland and Wales and is operated by . Each station broadcasts local breakfast through to drive time shows and network programming in the evening and through the night...
show that he owns Freddie MercuryFreddie MercuryFreddie Mercury was a British musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range...
's leather peaked cap, sold to him by friends of DJ Kenny EverettKenny EverettKenny Everett was an English comedian, radio DJ and television entertainer. Born Maurice James Christopher Cole, Everett is best known for his career as a radio DJ and for the Kenny Everett television shows.-Early life:...
.
External links
- Wes Butters's Official Website
- Profile - BBC News
- http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv_and_radio/story/0,,1239592,00.htmlWes Butters article in The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
(2004)]