Jamie Theakston
Once notorious for his party lifestyle, Grove resident Jamie Theakston has traded the late nights for early starts on the radio and batchelorhood for married bliss, and, as Elinor Malcolm discovers, he couldn’t be happier
Above: Cheeky chappy Jamie Theakston
The wickedly boyish grin is familiar from countless tabloid party pics, not to mention a plethora of high-profile TV appearances, but Heart presenter Jamie Theakston really does have everything to smile about when I meet him at Global Radio’s Bramley Road HQ. He’s newly married with a baby on the way and his breakfast show with Harriet Scott has just topped the polls as London’s favourite, seeing off such formidable opponents as Chris Moyles on Radio 1 and Capital’s Johnny Vaughan.
Jamie’s is the first name of several mentioned by Global’s executive director Richard Park (fearsome headmaster of Fame Academy) when he speaks of the ‘top-class individuals’ at the station. Nominated in the prestigious Sony Radio Academy Awards in 2006, Jamie and Harriet took the Silver last year and this year, says Jamie, ‘by rights we should win – but we’ll see!’
Their dynamic double act has been recognised in the States, winning Gold in 2007 for Best Music Personality Show in the New York Festivals. It’s light, bright but well informed, across all the breaking news but packed with unpredictable humour, quirky chemistry and a great playlist.
Jamie’s hardly been out of the spotlight since his media career began. That the spotlight has often focused on his love life rather than his achievements is something he shrugs off wryly. Well, it comes with the territory, if you’re a six foot four, famous (and exceptionally good-looking) face on the party circuit, with exes including Joely Richardson and Natalie Appleton.Now married to Sophie Siegle, the manager
of Soho House whom he met at the Oscars, and impatiently counting down the days until fatherhood, he hasn’t got time for all that paparazzi stuff: ‘I don’t find it a problem any more. There are far younger and better-looking people for them to harass these days!’
Level-headed he certainly is. Though he’s lived with cameras waiting to clock every time he sniffs an organic vegetable in the Ladbroke Grove Sainsbury’s, gets a parking ticket or rubs shoulders with celebrity regulars at Mr Christian’s, he’s remarkably relaxed to interview. And – kicking into touch those tabloid accusations of a super-ego – effortlessly charming.
In fact, his humour is frequently self-deprecating, not least when it comes to his impressive career. ‘It began with writing rude words on Ceefax. My job was updating roadwork pages on the night shift. What got me through was ringing my friends who’d still be up at 3am and telling them to look at whatever page it was, and I’d write profanities across the screen. Well, who’s checking Derbyshire’s roadworks at that time? Of course we thought it was hilarious.’
Ceefax’s loss was Christie’s gain. Prompted by his interest in art, Jamie then essayed the auction business, but the Eighties collapse of the market saw him with redundancy money in his pocket, ‘sitting in a pub in Ladbroke Grove with a friend for six months – great!’ A subsequent business degree was just ‘treading water’: as a teenage member of the National Youth Theatre (alongside a young Daniel Craig), he had his sights set on performance. A lucky break got him into Radio 5 and hard-won experience sports reporting at GLR eventually got him noticed by the bosses of both radio and television. ‘Making tea and going to cover glamorous Brentford against Oldham with a telephone and a Rothmans Handbook in the pouring rain for 35 quid a game was pretty miserable but I had faith it would lead to better things.’
Indeed it did, most notably Live & Kicking with Zoë Ball: three hours live on prime time telly. ‘The best apprenticeship possible – but the idea of doing it now terrifies me! I just threw myself into it and it kind of worked out.’
It ‘worked out’ with another decade’s worth of fine performances across the board. More sports reporting; appearances in the West End; television successes too numerous to list – but he’d rather talk about the hairy moments. Being ferried to Alderney on a chartered trawler to track the eclipse through cloud, with a cameraman who didn’t have the filter required to shoot the sun directly – ‘Oh man. So I’ll just stand on this rock and say what it looks like?’ Or Millennium night with Gaby Roslin: ‘Live for nine hours. With nothing to report but fireworks round the world. Each hour, more fireworks. For anyone watching, it must’ve been like drilling teeth.’
It’s a hell of a CV but Jamie’s not resting on any laurels. ‘Media’s such a perilous career that I’ve always viewed television or radio or drama as different income streams – the more you keep open, the more chance you have of working. You still go to bed worrying that everything’s going to dry up!’ That’s one thing he never shows signs of doing: he and Harriet keep the banter going effortlessly and Jamie describes their show as ‘the closest thing to having fun and being paid for it’. Even the 4am starts? ‘A good thing: keeps you out of the pub!’
Notting Hill has been home for 20 years. Jamie first moved here ‘because it was so cheap – really!’ and handy for his youthful haunts Subterania, the Globe and the Market Bar. Though Notting Hill now has ‘more people in it doing yoga than the whole of India’, he still loves it. ‘Everything I need is five minutes’ away. I get all my fruit and veg in the market, although, contrary to popular opinion, the market on Saturday (and Carnival) are a pain in the arse!’ And as a place to bring up kids? ‘Perfect. Good schools, good nurseries, plenty of fun places to walk.’
Impending parenthood (the baby is due early April) is the icing on the cake. ‘It’s so exciting. Sophie’s had the best pregnancy ever; I was holding out for a torrid time but she’s loved every minute. I can’t wait.’ Well, at least he’ll already be up for that 4am feed. But sober fatherhood quelling that boyish wit? ‘I already spend three hours every morning carrying a gurgling idiot so I’m used to it. Don’t tell Harriet I said that – she’ll get cross!’
Heart Breakfast with Jamie Theakston and Harriet Scott: 6-9am on Heart 106.2 FM
JAMIE’S HANG OUTS
• ‘Absolutely the best’ pubs
Ladbroke Arms, 54 Ladbroke Road, W11 3NW
The Cow, 89 Westbourne Park Road, W2 5QH
• Fun nights out
Tiroler Hut, 27 Westbourne Grove, W2 4UA
Westbourne Studios, 242 Acklam Road, W10 5JJ
• Favourite restaurant
Le Café Anglais, 8 Porchester Gardens, W2 4DB