Alice Levine quits BBC Radio 1 after nine years

Alice Levine has revealed she is quitting BBC Radio 1.

The 34-year-old, who first joined the station in 2011, marked her departure with a lengthy Instagram post.

Writing to her 254,000 followers, Levine explained it was an “end of an era” for her.

“I’ve decided it’s the right time for me to hang up the headphones (not a thing) and say goodbye to Radio 1," she said.

“It‘s 9 years since I first walked around the old studios at Yalding House and signed up to start piloting for a show.

View this post on Instagram

End of an era 🎙📻🎙📻🎙📻🎙 I’ve decided it’s the right time for me to hang up the headphones (not a thing) and say goodbye to Radio 1. It‘s 9 years since I first walked around the old studios at Yalding House and signed up to start piloting for a show. So many big moments have happened since then and I have met friends for life. The team at R1 are the funniest, smartest and most-hardworking. I can’t believe I got to be in the gang for a bit. Huge thanks to Rhys Hughes who believed I could do a show in the John Peel slot talking about new music even though I said I was mainly listening to Paul Simon and Joni Mitchell (!). To Matt Fincham and Adele Cross who very patiently stood with me whilst I crashed the vocals, pressed the wrong buttons and had a prolonged crisis of confidence in those early off-air days (and beyond!). Then I somehow managed to bag the very best producers, who shared their immense experience and time - and often their jokes to say as my own! Let this, my last radio shout out, go to: Stocker, Mel, Tash, Aled, Kate, Ian, Trav, Jenny and Liam. Words can’t do you justice! With their nurturing, we won a Music Week Best Show Award, we did incredible broadcasts from Glastonbury, the Brits, Big Weekends, sessions at Maida Vale and interviewed some of the most exciting people in movies and music. We’ve also had a dead nice time and hopefully said some things that have made you laugh. From 10-midnight with Phil, to Weekend PM, then Weekend Breakfast, and now my Fri/Sat/Suns with Dev, I can’t believe how much we’ve packed in... If you’ve listened to the show or got in touch with one of your amazing stories over the years, I can’t thank you enough. To make jokes all day has just been a gift of a job! *Just to say you can no longer reach me on 81199, new number to follow 🤪

A post shared by A L I C E L E V I N E (@thisisalicelevine) on Jul 15, 2020 at 12:34am PDT

“So many big moments have happened since then and I have met friends for life. The team at R1 are the funniest, smartest and most-hardworking. I can’t believe I got to be in the gang for a bit.”

Levine went on to thank a number of editors and producers who work behind-the-scenes for giving her a chance to work on the radio.

“With their nurturing, we won a Music Week Best Show Award, we did incredible broadcasts from Glastonbury, the Brits, Big Weekends, sessions at Maida Vale and interviewed some of the most exciting people in movies and music. We’ve also had a dead nice time and hopefully said some things that have made you laugh,” she recalled.

Alice Levine announced she was leaving the station (Getty Images for Bauer Media)

“From 10-midnight with Phil, to Weekend PM, then Weekend Breakfast, and now my Fri/Sat/Suns with Dev, I can’t believe how much we’ve packed in… ‘

“If you’ve listened to the show or got in touch with one of your amazing stories over the years, I can’t thank you enough. To make jokes all day has just been a gift of a job!”

Levine’s most recent role at BBC Radio 1 was heading up the weekend afternoon Radio 1 show with Dev Griffin, having previously hosted the Weekend Breakfast show.

Levine also hosted the first series of The Circle alongside Maya Jama (Channel 4)

A number of Levine’s colleagues at the station have since spoken out about her announcement.

Nick Grimshaw left a string of heart emojis, while Clara Amfo wrote: “Started the morning sending wailing voicenotes to Alice Levine salute to one of my FAVE broadcasters and people ever/ Brilliant, witty, clever and kind. Everyone at BBC Radio 1 shall miss you Al!”

Current co-host Griffin left a heart emoji.

In more recent years, Levine has also become a regular face on television, having fronted documentary Sleeping With the Far Right and hosted the first series of The Circle with Maya Jama, who has also announced she is quitting her BBC Radio 1 show.

She is also one third of the hugely popular podcast series My Dad Wrote A Porno.