The stars of Radio 1: Advice to my 16 year-old self

Radio 1's Academy helps young people find the advice and inspiration they need to pursue a career in music, radio, production and many more areas of the media.

But few people know more about finding success at Radio 1 than the voices you hear on air. We caught up with some of the big names of weekday daytime to find out what advice they would give their 16 year-old selves - and there's something in there for all aspiring radio stars.

Here's what they had to say.

"Take your time with it and learn as much as you can about the area you want to get into.

"In my case it was radio so I'd listen to as much as possible, read up about who owns what radio stations, who does the breakfast show on Capital in Yorkshire; just know stuff, know all about it.

"If you want to be a doctor - you've got to read about medicine, you've got to know how hospitals are run, you have to know all that stuff. It's the same for any job.

"I was absolutely obsessive about it, how people made shows, why shows were the way they were or how people got away with certain things. I loved the jingles, I loved the imaging and I loved all the nerdy stuff. I was very passionate from an early age, particularly by the time I was 16."

"If you want to do radio, when you first get into a studio it can be quite weird because you're essentially just talking to yourself and the more you do it, the more it becomes normal and it becomes easier.

"It takes so much practice. Do as much as you can, do student radio, I did hospital radio, I worked for other radio stations, I worked at record labels. I tried to see as much of the industry as possible and I think that was really useful - from management to labels to plugging to live stuff, to being a runner, to assisting people.

"So just do as much as you can because it's good to have an insight into the industry so you know exactly what everyone's roles are.

"It's really important to have a social life as well, go to gigs, watch stuff on TV and film so you've got content to talk about. Find out what your specialist subject is and then base your radio show around that.

"Do a show about whatever is your natural topic, so mine's just stuff, I like stuff."

"The advice I'd give myself would be to just believe in yourself and have more confidence.

"For anyone else looking to get into radio, I think your best thing to do, if you can't get involved with local radio then make your own media, broadcast yourself, your life, your and your friends' lives.

"You can do everything these days just on a phone, you can make your own podcast. You can control your voice and how it gets out to people, create your own fanbase and listeners from there.

"If the opportunities don't come to you, make them yourself."

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