The stars of Radio 1: The person who changed my career

Radio 1's Academy offers specialist advice to young people from experts in the music, radio and media industry. Getting help from the right person at the right time can shape a career, and the stars of Radio 1 are no exception.

Clara Amfo, Greg James and Nick Grimshaw are all daytime presenters now, but they all have that one special person to thank for helping to make them what they are today.

Here are the people they say changed their careers forever.

"The one person who I know was instrumental in my career, and I wouldn't be here without was - and he's still one of my best friends to this day - my old boss, a guy called Simon Long.

"He was the Deputy Programme Controller at a station I used to work at and he was the first person to really take a chance on me and take time to nurture me. He just had this lovely confidence in me that I didn't have in myself to be honest and he'd push me and tell me off when things didn't go well but would praise me when things were right.

"He took a chance on me and if it wasn't for meeting him, I know I wouldn't be doing my job today."

"My sister was quite important to me in focusing on my career because I always wanted to do the Radio 1 Breakfast Show but I was always quite embarrassed to say it.

"It seemed so out of reach that I'd never say it in public and I'd definitely not say it in school. My sister said ‘you can do it and you should do it.' I thought I couldn't do it because it's like being an astronaut or a footballer - but she reminded me people are astronauts and people are footballers and said I needed to just figure out how to get there.

"Don't think anything is out of reach or settle for less just because you think it's embarrassing or a 'stupid' thing. People are astronauts and Radio 1 breakfast presenters."

"There was a teacher at my old school, though there were a few good teachers, but one in particular called Mr Etheridge, he was a Religious Studies teacher. I didn't do RS but he also taught General Studies and he would always bring really interesting speakers in.

"He brought some great motivational speakers in who'd done some great jobs but he also brought in a guy called Chris Hawkins who's on 6 Music and he was a real-life radio presenter and a person at the same time. I realised you could be a person and be on the radio, people like that, they really open your eyes a little bit. People like Mr Etheridge really open your eyes to things like that, so he was very important.

"Also, a teacher called Mr Howells who taught physics - I never did that either - but he was also the drama man, he did extra-curricular drama. He basically put me on a stage and said 'I think you could be quite good at doing this' and I started presenting things, acting in plays and then did drama at University.

"He was very important to my life as well because he made me realise how much I love showing off."

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