Simon Mayo Drivetime

The Simon Mayo Drivetime Show, previously called Simon Mayo Drivetime, is the incarnation of the drivetime show on BBC Radio 2 between 11 January 2010 and 4 May 2018, being revived briefly for Mayo's final show with the station on 21 December that year, and then fully from 15 March 2021 on Greatest Hits Radio. It is broadcast on weekdays from 16:00 to 19:00 in the United Kingdom. It is presented by broadcaster Simon Mayo, who originally moved to BBC Radio 2's drivetime from his weekday afternoon show on BBC Radio 5 Live after Chris Evans moved to take over the Radio 2 Breakfast Show.
On 10 January 2018, the BBC announced that Jo Whiley would become Mayo's co-host from 14 May. The drivetime show would also be extended to 8pm (being cut back an hour to make room for Tony Blackburn's Golden Hour every Friday from 7pm.) The final regular show was broadcast on Thursday 3 May 2018, with the show officially ending with All Request Friday the following day. The new show was not a success, with Mayo announcing his departure from the station on 22 October that year. They presented their last show together on 20 December, with Mayo hosting solo the following day, marking the end of his 17-year stint at the station. He revived the theme music and jingles used in this incarnation of the programme.
In February 2021 it was announced that Mayo would be reviving the show on the Bauer-owned Greatest Hits Radio from 15 March 2021, with several of the original production staff and Mayo's co-presenters Matt Williams and Nigel Barden also returning.
Co-Presenting Team.
Matt Williams.
Matt Williams was the sports reporter on the show, presenting Matt's World of Sport at 17:50 and 18:50 each day. On Fridays, in the second report he interviewed somebody who is involved in a sport that is not regularly reported in the general media, known as the Friday Fixture. He also announced the weekly rock tune on Wednesdays as "Doctor Mosh", as well as participating in the daily confessions as 'Brother Matt'. He returned for the revived show in 2021.
Bobbie Pryor.
Bobbie Pryor is the regular weekday afternoon travel reporter on Radio 2, and read the travel news at 17:15, 17:55, 18:30 and 18:55 each day. Pryor was previously the weekend travel reporter but from 11 August 2014 became the regular weekday reporter, replacing Sally Boazman who moved to weekends. She participated in the daily confessions as 'Sister Bobbie'.
Nigel Barden.
Radio 2's resident chef, who cooked for the team every Thursday. He participated in Thursday's confessions as 'Novice Nigel'. He returned on the revived show in 2021.
Sally Boazman.
Sally Boazman was the regular travel reporter on the show, Boazman was known as 'Mother Superior' in the daily confessions. but in August 2014 made the move to weekends on BBC Radio 2. Due to holidays, her final show with Mayo was on 24 July 2014, but her last report for weekdays was on 8 August 2014.
Alan Dedicoat.
Alan Dedicoat was the regular newsreader and continuity announcer on BBC Radio 2, who read the 17:00 news occasionally, coming into the show. He also occasionally participated in the daily confession, Dedicoat retired from newsreading and continuity announcing duties on BBC Radio 2 on Friday 27 March 2015, but briefly returned on Monday 30 March 2015 for one final confession.
Rebecca Pike.
Rebecca Pike presented the business news at 17:30 and 18:40 every day, and at the end of the 17:30 bulletin also reports on the FTSE market data and exchange rates. On Fridays she interviewed a guest with a new invention, known as the Innovation Slot. Pike was known as 'Sister Rebecca' when participating in the daily confessions, She left the programme and the station on 17 December 2015.
Suzi Purdie.
Current producer Suzi Purdie joins in with the show every day, joining in with the Drivetime Drama and taking part in the daily Confessions as 'Sister Suzi'
Stand-in Presenters.
Stand-in presenters on the Radio 2 incarnation of the show included Patrick Kielty, Liza Tarbuck, Ryan Tubridy, Richard Allinson, Richard Bacon, Mark Goodier, Sara Cox and Amol Rajan. There are yet to be any stand-in hosts on the Greatest Hits Radio version of the show.
Show Features.
The show's opening and closing theme tune is a 2003 recording by Jools Holland and Prince Buster of the 1948 song "Enjoy Yourself (It's Later than You Think)" by Carl Sigman and Herb Magidson. Before the theme plays, a re-written, a cappella version of "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)" by Harry Belafonte played, with "Day-O, me say Day-O" replaced with "Mayo, Simon Mayo". Previously, some editions of the show also used the 1950 hit version by Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians, or occasionally the version by The Specials from their 1980 album "More Specials".
The instrumental "Garden Party" by Mezzoforte was used as a backing track during one of the show's features.
All-Request Friday.
To allow Mayo time to continue to present "Kermode and Mayo's Film Review" on 5Live and following on from Chris Evans' Drivetime show, on Fridays all records played were chosen by the listeners – hence the name. The regular features from Mondays-Thursdays did not appear. Regular background music used on Fridays included "On the Rebound" by Floyd Cramer, "Tom Hark" by The Piranhas, "A Swingin' Safari" by Bert Kaempfert, "Giorgio by Moroder" by Daft Punk and "House of the King" by Focus, as well as other stock instrumentals in different musical styles.
Special shows.
Occasionally there was a special edition of the show, covering special events in the UK. Such events included pre-show coverage of the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, a fortnight of special shows for the London 2012 Olympics and a special programme from the Science Museum in London to commemorate the BBC's 90th anniversary on 14 November 2012.
Other media.
Podcasts.
As with several other shows across BBC Radio, highlights from the show were released as a podcast, which could be downloaded from the BBC's website and from other sources (such as iTunes). Two weekly podcasts were produced, both released on Fridays. "The Weekly Mayo" featured highlights of the interviews from the preceding week, whilst "Simon Mayo's Confessions" was a collection of the confessions.
Books.
Two books have been released by Bantam Press, both based on features from the show. The first, "Confessions", was released on 13 October 2011 featuring a collection of the best confessions featured on the programme, and the second, entitled "Homework Sucks!", was released a year later on 11 October 2012 featuring a selection of the "Homework Sucks" questions and answers.
Album.
An album featuring a selection of live tracks performed on the show, alongside other tracks picked by Mayo was released on 24 February 2014.
Awards.
The show won the title of Best Music Programme in the 2011 Sony Radio Academy Awards.