Radio DJs and TV hosts Jo Whiley and Steve Lamacq recall their Glastonbury festival which went wrong and must see bands in 2025
Jo Whiley and Steve Lamacq are gearing up to head to Glastonbury with the BBC and whilst they admit some things will go wrong on screen and radio – they don’t care.
The seasoned professionals, who had their own show together in the Nineties, are part of the BBC team covering the massive festival where the BBC will offer 90 hours of performances with its live streams of the five main stages as well as huge radio coverage too.
Steve, 60, said: “I get to the point now where, when I go on air, I’m looking forward to the first for the first cock up, because then it’s out the way. It doesn’t matter anymore, because with our coverage, you know, you’ve got to appreciate it’s live in a truck. Or sometimes we’ve taken backpacks and walked around the site.
“So one year and we had, we had a whole show planned out where we had guests around the site that we were going to walk and meet, and it was the year of the electrical storm. So they cancelled, they cancelled the backpacks because they were worried we’d get struck by lightning. We had to do the whole show in a truck while desperately trying to find the people who were supposed to be on the show.
“We’re lucky enough to have a BBC compound just behind the main stage, and there is a little cut through from behind the pyramid going to the other stage. And one year I looked down, there was a tree stump right in the path. And I thought, someone’s going to trip up over that at some points.
“And sure enough, after the heavens had opened on the Saturday, and the site was covered in mud. Sure enough, in the dark, I went straight face down in the mud! And I’m not sure what my thinking was, but obviously, you know, to try and soak up the mud, there’s loads of straw everywhere. So I tried to wipe the mud off with the straw, but the straw just stuck to the mud. And I remember walking into the backstage BBC compound to the looks of horror on the faces of everyone else. And when I look to myself, I look like Worzel Gummidge, basically a straw sticking out all over the place. You never know what is going to happen.”
Jo who will front TV coverage and a Radio 2 show on site, agrees with Steve. She said: “I love it when it all goes wrong. So do people listening or watching.
“There was the year when, I think it was that Radiohead year, I was doing the radio show and Chris Moyles handed over to me, and I’d got Ricky from the Kaiser Chiefs, so who were supposed to be playing, and, literally, Chris handed over to me. I said about two words, and suddenly we were taken off air because there was a storm, a lightning storm going on. And there were these engineers literally holding electric cables in the air to try and keep them out of the water and the mud. And we were taken off air. I couldn’t do my show. I literally, I just had to phone in my show, walking around the site with Ricky from the Kaiser Chiefs. So yeah. I mean, anything can happen.”
Steve, who has a weekly 6 music show, has all his sets to see mapped out, and this year, and cites Wet Leg, Fat Dog, Lucy Dacus and indie band The Big Moon amongst the acts to watch.
He will be taking his young daughter to her third Glastonbury, meaning he is juggling work with 6 Music and TV slots with family time.
He explained: “I like the atmosphere of the Avalon tent. I like Billy Bragg’s Left Field stage so I go there and now we have the BBC Introducing stage as well, which is obviously dedicated to young or emerging artists. And there’s, there’s quite a decent bill this year on the BBC introducing stage. So yes, it’s a balance once again, isn’t it? Because you want to see, you want to see a bit of everything.
“I bought a ticket for my wife, and obviously my daughter’s only eight, so she’s coming along as well. This will be her third time. And you know, she loves it and looks forward to it, and it’s a wonder world, isn’t it? I mean, it reduces adults to children, but for children, just the sights that you see.”
Jo admits despite her best efforts she may not get to watch many full sets of artists. She explained: “Honestly, I’m so busy doing the TV coverage, and I think I’m going to be busier this year that it’s really hard. It’s a matter of catching glimpses of people when you possibly can. And you know, quite often being really frustrated and disappointed that you try to get there, and then they just do that last song. But I really try to go to all different areas, and I like going to the circus tent fields, whatever it is, in Cabaret, and trying to see all the other different parts of Glastonbury as well, because I love all that. I’m really excited for Charlie XCX. I think her show is going to be sensational.”
* The BBC will be broadcasting Glastonbury on TV, BBC iPlayer, radio and BBC Sounds from 25 th – 29 th June.
Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.