Broadcast icon Annie Nightingale – Radio 1’s first female DJ – has died

Broadcast icon Annie Nightingale – Radio 1’s first female DJ – has died, the BBC has said.

Nightingale, who was 83, started presenting on Radio 1 in 1970 and became its longest-serving broadcaster, hosting her show Annie Nightingale presents… until recently.

She was awarded an MBE in 2002 and a CBE in 2020. In 2004, Nightingale became the first female DJ from Radio 1 to be inducted into the Radio Academy Hall of Fame.

In a statement, her family said she died at home in London on Thursday, following a short illness.

They paid tribute to “a pioneer, trailblazer and an inspiration to many” and described how she became a role model for generations of young women.

“Her impulse to share that enthusiasm with audiences remained undimmed after six decades of broadcasting on BBC TV and radio globally,” Nightingale’s family said.

“Never underestimate the role model she became. Breaking down doors by refusing to bow down to sexual prejudice and male fear gave encouragement to generations of young women who, like Annie, only wanted to tell you about an amazing tune they had just heard.

“Watching Annie do this on television in the 1970s, most famously as a presenter on the BBC music show The Old Grey Whistle Test, or hearing her play the latest breakbeat techno on Radio One is testimony to someone who never stopped believing in the magic of rock ‘n’ roll.”

A celebration of Nightingale’s life will take place in the spring, they said.

Radio 1 shared a photo of the renowned DJ on social media, saying the station was “extremely saddened” about her death.

Director general Tim Davie described her as “a uniquely gifted broadcaster who blessed us with her love of music and passion for journalism, for over 50 years”, as well as “a trailblazer for new music” and a “champion for female broadcasters, supporting and encouraging other women to enter the industry”.

Head of Radio 1 Aled Haydn Jones described Nightingale as “a world-class DJ, broadcaster and journalist”, who championed new music and new artists “throughout her entire career”.

He added: “We have lost a broadcasting legend and, thanks to Annie, things will never be the same.”

Greg James, Zoe Ball, Jo Whiley and more pay tribute

Nightingale first broadcast on the BBC in 1963 as a panellist on Juke Box Jury, before joining Radio 1 seven years later.

She remained the station’s only female DJ until 1982, which saw the arrival of Janice Long, and is credited with helping to pave the way for the likes of Sara Cox, Jo Whiley and Zoe Ball.

Whiley described her as “the coolest woman who ever graced the airwaves”.

Sharing a black and white picture of the broadcaster in a radio studio on X, formerly known as Twitter, Whiley wrote: “She blazed a trail for us all and never compromised. Her passion for music never diminished.”

James, who presents the Radio 1 breakfast show, said on X that Nightingale’s life and achievements “were so extraordinary you couldn’t possibly sum them up on here”.

He continued: “It was such a treat if you happened to be in the building at the same time as her.

“She was always so interested in what everyone else was up to. We’re going to miss her so much. She was just absolutely amazing.”

Former BBC Radio 1 DJ Annie Mac, real name Annie Macmanus, praised Nightingale for changing “the face and sound of British TV and Radio broadcasting forever”.

She told how before Nightingale started in the ’70s, “it was legitimately believed by BBC bosses that people didn’t want to hear women’s voices” on the radio.

She continued: “Radio DJs were seen as husband substitutes for the wives who listened at home. God forbid British women might want to listen to other women.”

Nightingale “smashed through all the sexist stereotypes of what kind of broadcaster a woman should be” and “was always the epitome of ‘cool'”, Macmanus said, with the “messiest desk in our office, the best outfits, and the most outrageous stories to tell”.

Radio 2 breakfast host Ball, who was the first female host of the flagship show for both Radio 1 and Radio 2, said Nightingale “could outlast any of us at the party”.

Paying tribute, she said: “The original trailblazer for us women in radio. She loved music like no other… So grateful for all the love & support she offered me over the years.

“What a dame… rest well.”

Glastonbury Festival co-organiser Emily Eavis also joined the tributes, sharing on Instagram how the DJ helped her when she was younger.

“Goodbye dear Annie, a female trailblazer and true enthusiast,” she wrote. “Annie gave me so much support when I was in my twenties, I always felt so grateful to have such a strong woman encouraging me along the way and I’m sure she has done the same for many others like me.

“She was an inspiration to so many women in music, broadcasting and beyond and just a lovely human being.”