Greg James' Rogue Promises
From 24-28 November, Greg James challenged himself to fulfil all the promises he's made to Radio 1 listeners over the years.
Recently on Radio 1 Breakfast, the listeners have been reminding Greg of all the wacky things he's said he'll do, but never followed through with. Examples include: organise a school disco, land a plane, get a tattoo of Long Boi the duck, put on a concert for dogs, host a silly show from the Isles of Scilly, co-host the Breakfast show with Barney the dog, and go to a fire station to play on the fire engines.
The Radio 1 listeners have had enough and are finally holding him to account. Luckily for them, the Breakfast team had been keeping a spreadsheet of all these promises - and there are 153 of them.
So Greg decided to to try and complete as many as he could manage over the course of a week: "I've promised enough, it is now time to deliver."
Read on to find out how it went...
Day 1
Greg s narrowed the Rogue Promises spreadsheet down to a longlist of around 20 promises that he thought he might be able to complete in one week. Here's what he managed on day 1...
Do a silly sound effects request show
Greg loves a silly sound effect, and so do the Radio 1 listeners, so he dedicated a segment to playing out some classics. The Breakfast team received hundreds of requests, and we heard a whole host of iconic moments, including ‘Robot Clara’, The Monster Mash, the cat that says ‘hello’, the Italian dog, Celia Imrie’s fart from The Celebrity Traitors, and of course some classic innuendos and on-air slip ups.
Send a listener Winnie the Pooh pyjamas
He also caught up with listener Sunil, who had been promised some Winnie the Pooh pyjamas, after he came on the Breakfast show to discuss the revelation that Greg sleeps like Winnie the Pooh - in a t-shirt but no bottoms. He spoke to Sunil and another listener, (very appropriately) named Winnie, who saw an opportunity to get involved. He offered them both the choice of Winnie The Pooh-patterned pyjamas or a Winnie The Pooh costume, and Sunil took the PJs while Winnie took the costume, the legend. They are ordered and on their way - so that's one doubly achieved!
Do an extended greatest hits Ten Minute Takeover
Greg put a call out for the best of the best tracks for Monday's Ten Minute Takeover, and the listeners more than delivered, so they did an extended version, filled with classic tracks from the likes of Cascada, Wheatus, The Saturdays, and Avicii. It started with Pitbull’s Fireball and ended with Vanessa Carlton’s 1000 Miles - need we say more?
Hug Rickie Haywood-Williams
At the end of the show, Greg realised he had roped in Melvin Odoom and Charlie Hedges to take part in some of the Rogue Promises, but he didn't have anything for their co-host Rickie Haywood-Williams, so he added an impulsive extra one: to give Rickie a hug! We heard the hug take place live on air so that's ticked off the list, and Rickie no longer feels left out. All in a day's work.
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Listen to Day 1 highlights on All Day Breakfast
Greg has a laminated list of more than 100 rogue promises he's made over the years! He's ready to tick as many off as he can this week, including a broadcast from the Isles of Scilly. The technical team is on board, the tourist board is on board... Can Greg get on board a flight and tick this promise off? Only time will tell!
Day 2
Another day done and Greg made steady progress! Here's what he ticked off on Day 2...
Send a plaque to the first person to WhatsApp Radio 1
This one was set to be a challenge because the Breakfast team only knew that the first person to send Radio 1 a WhatsApp was called Jamie, but didn't have any more details for him, as the promise was made back in 2021. But they tracked Jamie down, and he joked that he's been checking his postbox every day for the plaque, which had never come. But finally the wrong has been put right - Greg has now ordered the plaque and it's on its way to him.
Hug a Highland cow
Thanks to a lead from listener Tom in Northamptonshire, Greg went to visit a farm which has 75 Highland cows - one of which is only three months old, a Highland calf called Cuthbert! A Highland cow of that age is only about the size of a Labrador, and Greg was very excited to get to give him a cuddle. After some ASMR of Greg feeding apples to the other cows, he was finally introduced to Cuthbert, and it took a very short amount of time for him to declare: "Okay, I'm in love."
Organise a Year 6 disco
This idea started when Jeremiah Asiamah came onto the Breakfast show to do a special disco inspired by the kinds of tunes you would have at a Year 6 disco - so it's only fitting that Jeremiah was challenged to throw a real Year 6 disco. He went back to his old school and convinced them to let him fulfil this Rogue Promise. He kicked off the disco for the Year 6 class with PSY's Gangnam Style, to the cheers of some very happy students.
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Listen to Day 2 highlights on All Day Breakfast
Greg's alarm didn't go off this morning! That's not stopping him ticking off his list of rogue promises. It's day two and Jerry's got an early start DJ-ing at a Year 6 school disco! Plans are well underway for a Dog Fashion Disco with Katie Thistleton and there's an update on the travel situation for a live broadcast from the Isles of Scilly.
Day 3
On day 3 Greg only got through a couple of promises, but they were big ones!
Host a dog fashion disco
This one may be the first ever Rogue Promise Greg made on air. It was inspired by a listener who went to a gig of a band called Dog Fashion Disco, thinking it would be a disco for dogs, and Greg pledged to make that dream a reality. He sent Katie Thistleton to Battersea Dogs and Cats Home to roll out the red carpet for some paw-fect pups. Strutting down the carpet was Ice the Frenchie, Twister and Pat the Greyhounds, Bertie the Staffie, Tuppett the Alaskan Malamute, Fergus the Poochon and more.
Put Charlie Hedges’ head in a chocolate fountain
Greg got his friend Wayne to bring in a four-tier chocolate fountain for this one - only the best will do for our Charlie! Charlie got decked up in a fashionable shower cap and dressing gown, ready for the big moment, and boy did she go for it. "If I've promised to do something, it's all in or nothing," Charlie said.
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Listen to Day 3 highlights on All Day Breakfast
Careful what you wish for! Midweek mayhem as Charlie Hedges finally meets her fate under the warm, sweet falls of a chocolate fountain. The Dog Fashion Disco is expertly executed by Radio 1's Katie Thistleton, the planning continues for that silly show on the Isles of Scilly and tomorrow morning's Yesterday's Quiz is organised!
Day 4
On the penultimate day, Greg was really getting into his stride! Some brilliant promises completed, and now all roads lead to the Isles of Scilly...
Get Tony from the pub to host Yesterday's Quiz
Tony is the pub quiz master from The Tudor Tavern in West Sussex, and Greg heard about him through a game of How Well Do I Know My Pub, where listener Joe had to answer questions about his local pub. Tony's name came up, and Greg pledged to get him to host Yesterday's Quiz, and now it's finally happened. He did a brilliant job running through the questions but sadly Harry the contestant didn't get through to the final - although he did do a spectacular impression of a dog at a disco in one of the questions.
Go to a fire station and play on the fire engines
The power of the Radio 1 listeners... Listener Freya works for the London Fire Brigade and managed to arrange for Greg to go to Euston fire station. Greg was dressed up in protective gear and beyond excited about it all, having been obsessed with fire engines since he was a kid. And his dreams came true - they even let him set off the siren and unroll the hose!
Get Luke back on the Breakfast show to spread positive messages
After a few days of looking, the Breakfast team finally got hold of Luke, who first came on the show in 2021. Luke had sent himself a birthday card with a positive message about mental health, to give himself a boost when he needed it, and the Radio 1 listeners fell in love with his openness and honesty. This time, Luke had another lovely message to share, which was taken from his brother's wedding speech: "You can only sit in the shade because someone else planted the seed for the tree to grow. Take time to appreciate those around you."
Get Melvin Odoom to fight a koala bear
This Rogue Promise originated from the statistic (or more specifically, the meme that followed it) that 7% of men think they can win a fight against a bear. Greg and Rickie Haywood-Williams both admitted there was no way they could fight a bear, but Melvin Odoom said that he thought he could fight a koala bear. So Greg lined up a koala for Melvin to fight - not a real koala, obviously - a big, inflatable one! The fight ended with Melvin victorious and the koala bear on the floor - so it's confirmed, Melvin can win a fight against a bear... kind of.
Give Dan from Leeds a puzzle piece
It took a while for the Breakfast team to track down listener Dan but they managed it! Dan took part in Radio 1's Giant Jigsaw, finding one of the puzzle pieces for the challenge in Belgrave in Leeds. Dan is a primary school teacher and Greg promised to send him a commemorative piece of the giant jigsaw to display in his classroom. Greg now has to track down the giant puzzle, and he's agreed to send a good bit from the Radio 1 logo, and get it signed by the Radio 1 presenters and sent off to Dan and his class.
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Listen to Day 4 highlights on All Day Breakfast
The Rogue Promises continue! Tony the Pub Quiz Master hosts Yesterday's Quiz with contender, Harry. There's an important public service announcement in All The Latest Things, and Radio 1's Sam and Danni jump on board as Greg prepares to cross the Atlantic for a silly show, on the Isles of Scilly! Talking of silly, Greg imitates one of his childhood idols, Fireman Sam with Euston's Firefighters and Melvin Odoom fights a Koala bear! A Postie offers to share her round with Greg as he embarks on delivering a piece of the Radio 1 jigsaw piece and Cornwall's local pull together to find ways to get Greg across stormy seas! It's all go, go, go!
Day 5
Day 5 kicked off with Greg, Danni Diston and Sam McGregor live from an aircraft hangar at Land's End Airport, ready for Greg to fly to the Isles of Scilly...
Host a radio show from a plane
The first Rogue Promise of the day ticked off as Greg dialled in to the breakfast show from the Skybus, as it was due to take off to the Isles of Scilly. It was the number 1 tracked flight worldwide as 9,000 people watched his progress. And he even got to press the fasten seatbelt sign! But this leads us on nicely to...
Do the breakfast show from the Isles of Scilly
Greg's plane touched down just after 9:30 and he called straight in to the breakfast show - officially broadcasting live from the Isles of Scilly! This truly has been the s(c)illest challenge and it was a real journey to get there, literally. Not only was it a very long way from the Radio 1 studios, but all week Greg has been speaking to different people to organise this trip - from Euan from the Isles of Scilly tourist board, to Dan the pilot of the plane, to Amy the Postie who might be able to take him on the postal round. And let's not forget, there was some pretty stormy weather to contend with this week, and the risk that the planes might not fly at all. But after all that, he finally made it!
Do a show from a post van or on a postal round
There was a brief moment of peril because Greg had been planning to wear shorts on the post round - because you can't do a post round in trousers - but discovered that he'd left the shorts he'd brought at Land's End airport. Luckily Euan managed to source some for him and after a swift change, he was able to make his first delivery: bringing a letter to a local radio presenter called Nigel. He then brought together two people named Billy to give them a silly quiz, to crown the Silliest Billy on Scilly!
Greg closed the show sat on the beach, enjoying the beautiful scenery. What an amazing week it's been!
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Listen to Day 5 highlights on All Day Breakfast
On the final day of the week, Greg literally flies through his list of Rogue Promises as he attempts to cross the Atlantic to present Friday's silly show from the Isles of Scilly! Enlisting the help of a right bunch of Scilly people, from a Scilly Postie to a beach load of Scilly Billes, did he finally manage to tick off the biggest rogue promise of the week from his laminated list?
The full longlist
Greg has made it through his week of Rogue Promises and here's the final round up of what he managed to get through. That is a LOT of promises ticked off the list!
- COMPLETE: Go to a fire station and play with fire engines 鉁旓笍
- COMPLETE: Organise a Year 6 disco 鉁旓笍
- Speak to Goffy the trucker
- COMPLETE: Send a plaque to the first person to send a WhatsApp to Radio 1 鉁旓笍
- COMPLETE: Do a requests show for silly sound effects 鉁旓笍
- COMPLETE: Get listener Luke back on the Breakfast show to spread positive messages 鉁旓笍
- COMPLETE: Do a show from a post van or on a postal round 鉁旓笍
- Do a litter pick with listener Amelia
- COMPLETE: Put Charlie Hedges’ head in a chocolate fountain 鉁旓笍
- COMPLETE: Get Melvin Odoom to fight a koala bear 鉁旓笍
- COMPLETE: Hug Rickie Haywood-Williams (so he doesn't feel left out) 鉁旓笍
- COMPLETE: Host a dog fashion disco 鉁旓笍
- Give Dan from Leeds a mini puzzle piece (IN PROGRESS)
- COMPLETE: Do an extended greatest hits 10 min takeover 鉁旓笍
- COMPLETE: Get Tony from the pub to host Yesterday’s Quiz 鉁旓笍
- Dress up in a Long Boi costume
- COMPLETE: Host a radio show from a plane鉁旓笍
- COMPLETE: Hug a Highland cow 鉁旓笍
- COMPLETE: Send a listener Winnie the Pooh pyjamas 鉁旓笍
- COMPLETE: Do the breakfast show from the Isles of Scilly 鉁旓笍
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