Greg James was nowhere to be heard on BBC Radio 1 on Tuesday morning, although listeners concerned he’d accidentally slept through his alarm can rest assured that his absence was not unexpected.
The 40-year-old presenter, who has hosted the station’s Breakfast Show since 2018, swapped his usual early start for a considerably more appealing morning in bed following a night out in Manchester.
And rather than leave listeners wondering where he’d disappeared to, Greg decided to issue an official statement. Well, an ‘unofficial’ one, technically.
Taking to Instagram, the DJ explained that he’d travelled north to visit a friend and watch indie rock favourites The Strokes perform live.
Naturally, this wasn’t an occasion that called for a 4am alarm the following morning.
‘Unofficial Statement. I’m not on this morning because I went to visit my mate in Manchester and we went to see The Strokes,’ he began.
‘This is a sanctioned day off, so don’t get your knickers in a twist. I haven’t slept in.’
Although, as he went on to explain, he was doing precisely that when the message was published.
‘But I am currently sleeping. I timed this post to go out because I’m a pathetic loser.’
There’s something rather admirable about arranging your social media posts in advance to protect the sanctity of a lie-in. Particularly when your regular job involves entertaining the nation before most people have located their slippers.
Greg also offered a characteristically chaotic update on how he’d been spending his time away from the airwaves.
‘Anyway, the gig was great and well done to Harry Kane for all the goals – I’ve just caught up with all the latest things,’ he joked.
‘Anyway, I’ll be back tomorrow morning with my usual bulls***. Big up Sam and Danni. Love them. Make sure you’re listening to them OR ELSE.’
Fortunately, the nation’s morning listening habits weren’t left entirely in disarray.
Radio 1 presenters Sam MacGregor and Danni Diston, who ordinarily host the station’s weekend afternoon programmes, stepped in to cover Greg’s absence.
And while the Breakfast Show host was evidently enjoying the luxury of sleeping past sunrise, his message made clear that he’d be back behind the microphone on Wednesday.
It’s not the first time Greg has been absent from the programme in recent months, although the circumstances surrounding his previous break were considerably more heartbreaking.
In August, he missed his show following the death of his beloved dog Barney, whom he shared with his wife, bestselling author Bella Mackie.
The couple had adopted the chocolate Labrador from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home eight years earlier, and Barney had become something of a celebrity himself thanks to his appearances on Greg’s show.
Following his death, Greg shared an emotional tribute to his ‘unbelievably daft farty brilliant dog’, admitting he was struggling to come to terms with the loss.
Bella later opened up about their grief after the couple received criticism over how deeply they were mourning their pet.
Thankfully, this latest absence comes with a much happier explanation: a concert, a visit to an old friend and a properly authorised lie-in.
Sometimes, even Britain’s breakfast radio presenters deserve to sleep through breakfast.