IF YOU have been missing the reassuring voice of one of BBC Radio Berkshire’s favourite presenters, worry no more – he’s back, and you can hear him any time you like.
Phil Kennedy, who presented the Drivetime show, left last autumn when the BBC decided to merge local radio stations after 2pm and see some programmes broadcast from Salford.
But you can’t keep a good voice down.
He is now presenting his very own podcast called Mildly Getting Away With It. A mixture of celebrity interviews, previews and gossip, it is going down a treat – not least as the guest list has been really impressive.
So far, the role of honour has included Carol Kirkwood, Masterchef host Gregg Wallace, former TV newscaster Babita Sharma, stand-up comic Chris McCausland, and weather presenter Clare Nasir.
In fact, Phil says: “It’s my radio show, but in a podcast form.
“I love radio, and podcasts seem to be the future. It’s given me a chance to try something new.
“But,” he adds with a glint in his eye, “I hope to be back on a radio at some stage soon.”
Indeed, Phil is one of the nation’s most accomplished broadcasters, and has been heard on BBC Radio 2, LBC, Heart, Virgin Radio, Red Dragon Radio, and 210FM.
Go back even further, and he was spinning discs on BBC Radio 1 in the mid-eighties, standing in for Steve Wright in the Afternoon, as well as hosting his own Saturday evening show.
“I love radio for its immediacy,” he says. “Nothing beats it. Every so often, you’re presenting a show, and you get an amazing surprise, a guest will say something and suddenly something kicks off.
“Or there’s the breaking news. On days like that, radio is the best place to be.
“I really enjoy being part of this world.”
The switch-over to being his own boss and creating a podcast means this DJ who used to spin discs on a turntable long before CDs were commonplace and had to play his jingles from sophisticated tape decks, now has a laptop, a microphone and an internet connection. And a great contacts book, of course.
“It’s a simple thing to do, but it’s complicated to start,” he says. “It’s a bit like putting together a demo tape.
“I’m trying to do one every 10 days or so, and it’s getting hundreds of hits every week.”
His latest podcast features Ms Sharma, who grew up in the area.
“Her parents ran a corner shop in Caversham, and she has written a book about it,” Phil says.
“I’ve known her for years, but haven’t seen her for ages, so it was an opportunity to get her to tell me more.”
So far, the podcast has been well received.
“It’s had a very good reaction,” Phil says. “People are very engaged.
“I’ve even joined social media and now realise the power of it, getting people’s reactions straight away – it’s really amazing.”
With a strong reaction so far, it sounds like Phil will be getting away with it for a while longer yet. Although with Clara Amfo stepping down from her Radio 1 show, maybe the hit parade will coming knocking once again.
Phil Kennedy’s podcast Mildly Getting Away With It is available on all streaming platforms, including iTunes, Spotify and Buzzsprout.
