Alex Lester

Alexander Norman Charles Lester(born 11 May 1956) is a Britishbroadcaster.He presented the weekday overnight/early-morning programme onBBC Radio 2from 1992 until 2014. From October 2014 until January 2017, he presented the midnight to 3am programme every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. He also temporarily replacedRussell Brandon Saturday evenings in late 2008, between 9 and 11pm, following Brand's resignation over his infamousprank calls row.

Early life and career

Adoctor's son, Lester was educated atDenstone College,and worked in a variety of jobs (including atDudley Zoo,in apub,and as acivil serviceclerk), before he began his broadcasting career in 1977 for BBC local radio stations. He joinedRadio AireinLeedsin 1981.

Later, he worked for other radio stations in thecommercialsector. These includedRadio Tees,based inStockton-on-Tees,where he worked from 1983 until 1986. At Radio Tees, on joining, he narrowly avoided an attempt by Canadian programme controller Donald Cline to rechristen him "Red" Lester. Lester went on to present, amongst others, the weekday lunchtime show and a specialistbluesmusic programme there.

In 1986, he returned to the BBC, presenting the breakfast show (indeed, the first show) on the newly openedBBC Essexbased inChelmsford.Lester joined Radio 2 in 1987 as an announcer and newsreader. He also presented the night-time show on arotabasis. In April 1992 he was given the early-morning show permanently.

'The Best Time of the Day' and beyond

Lester kept UK truckers and other night-shift workers awake with his weird and strange observations. The meaningless but catchy showslogansare 'SCOF' (Swirling Cesspool of Filth) and 'Slap My Top' (thought to be a variation on themusic hallphrase 'slap my thigh' – but reserved exclusively for people with bald heads) and listeners have marketed the show by writing the phrase in the dirt on the backs of trucks and vans. A limited-edition range of T-shirts, with the slogan written inCantonese,was developed by a listener. Lester awarded these to people who came up with the most innovative uses of the slogan – winners included a local radio reporter who got the expression into a story; a man who wrote and recorded a song with the slogan as its title; a mystery girl, for placing an ad for Lester's show in the small ads section of a local newspaper and a man who developed a website which remains a communal meeting point for the programme's listeners, and is listed in the External Links section below. As well as T-shirts, another listener produced a range of glow-in-the-dark Alex Lester wristbands, which were given away as prizes on the show. The new phrase for the 2010–2011 Truck Writing Season was 'WALLOP' (We're Alex Lester's Lovely Overnight People), and in 2013 the slogan 'ALAN' was introduced (Alex Lester at Night).

Despite being broadcast in an overnight timeslot, Lester prided himself on calling his programme 'The Best Time of the Day'. As one of the longest-serving broadcasters on the network, he was occasionally heard on Radio 2 during the daytime when regular presenters were away.

The programme was broadcast from 4am until 6:30am until December 1992, and from 3am to 5am during 1993. For 16 years, starting in January 1994, the programme began at 3am and finished at 6am, until it was rescheduled in 2010 after changes to the Radio 2 morning schedule. It was then broadcast from 2am to 5am every weekday. With the introduction of After Midnight on Radio 2 in October 2014, the show was broadcast from 12am to 3am from Fridays to Sundays. Alex shared the After Midnight slot withJanice Long,with Long presenting Monday - Thursday, and Lester on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The show was cancelled in January 2017 due to Radio 2 cutting costs.

Alex had hosted a weekly show onBBC Radio Oxfordfrom 2015 till 2017, broadcasting between 1pm and 4pm on Fridays.

Between February and June 2017 he also hosted a four-hour Sunday evening show onBBC Radio Kentbut had to relinquish this due to other commitments, primarily resulting from becoming the new host of the breakfast show onBBC Radio WMfrom Monday 20 March 2017.

Lester could also be heard from April 2017 to June 2017 on Thames Radio's overnight shift. It is believed that the voice parts were 'Tracked' (recorded in advance and inserted between the records in real time).He also hosted the late night show on BBC across the West Midlands local radio stations until February 2020, from 10pm on Saturday night until 1am on Sunday.

On 4 January 2019, Lester left the breakfast show on BBC Radio WM after nearly two years of broadcasting.

From 10 February 2020, he began presenting the weekday overnight show onGreatest Hits Radionetworks across England and Scotland from 1am until 6am, and from September 2020, his shows were (initially the last hour only) also heard on Greatest Hits South Wales.He also presented the Weekend Anthems show on a Saturday afternoon from 4pm until February 2022.From 8 June 2020, he permanently moved to the late night show 10pm-1am.From 3 January 2021, Alex moved back to 1am-6am, and from 8 January 2022 Alex temporarily replaced the late Janice Long on Saturday afternoons 1pm-4pm

Personal life

Lester has homes inHastingsandWednesbury.For nearly 10 years he lived aboard a 60-foot traditionalsterncanal boat(which he nicknamedThe Blue Pig) during the week, while presenting his show from the BBC'sPebble Mill Studiosand thenThe MailboxinBirmingham.He also has a restoredcottageas a third home in theNormandyregion ofFrance.

Obscure sports are another passion. Over the years Lester has participated in Extreme Downhill Cheese Rolling, the Yorkshire Celery Wrestling Finals and achieved a creditable 9th-place finish at the 2006 World Bog Snorkelling Championship.

In December 2010 Lester announced his engagement to his longtime partner Kerry, who is also known as "The Dark Lady". They married on 3 December 2011.Edwina Hayes,a singer-songwriter whose music had been featured on Lester's show, performed at the ceremony. Alex is a stepfather to Kerry's two adult children, Jamie and Ella, from a previous relationship.

External links

• Music Marathon on Greatest Hits Radio
• Alex Lester on Greatest Hits Radio
• Alex Lester on Greatest Hits Radio 60s
• Alex LesteronTwitter
• Slap My Top! – The Unofficial Alex Lester show site(endorsed by Alex Lester but not by BBC Radio 2)