Joel Ross

Joel Ross (born Joel Hogg in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, 31 May 1977) is a British radio DJ. Along with Jason King (known on air as JK), he presented the coveted "UK Top 40" show on BBC Radio 1 each Sunday from March 2005 to October 2007. They also hosted the network's early breakfast show from Monday to Thursday.

Career

Early radio presenter

Joel started out in radio as a presenter on his hometown station Yorkshire Coast Radio in 1993 at the age of 16 presenting the evening show and Nothing But the 90s.

He left in late 1995 and moved further up north and presented various shows on Minster FM, A1FM,Sun City 103.4, TFM and Metro FM as well as being a travel presenter for many stations in the North.

JK and Joel

He joined Viking FM in 1996, starting on the nightshift. He worked his way up to the late show, off-air breakfast producer, evening show host and afternoon show presenter. He was then offered the chance to pair up with JK, a long-time colleague and socialising partner, on the breakfast show which JK had hosted alone for the previous year.

Initially the arrangement was just for Joel to earn some overtime from his afternoon shift by reading JK's travel reports; but instantly it became clear that the pair had a natural broadcasting rapport as well as great ability to communicate with the audience, and so Joel was relieved of his afternoon duties and elevated to the role of breakfast co-host.

They are the winners of two Sony Radio Academy Awards in 2005; a Gold for 'Breakfast Show Of The Year' and a Silver for 'Entertainment Show'.

Their cheeky, laddish, infectious style ensured a rapid rise in the ratings and the move to Manchester's Key 103.

On television they have presented "Playboyz", a fast moving gadget series for Granada Men and Motors and "Motor Maniacs", a series dedicated to men obsessed with bikes and cars. They have also been the hosts of "Pure Soap" on BBC Three, a daily 30 minute live show looking at all things to do with soap operas. Joel achieved the distinction of winning Channel 5's 2005 "Britain's Worst Celebrity Driver" competition, with JK as his co-driver.

Also that year JK and Joel were part of the "Top of the Pops Reloaded" team, a children's pop music show shown on Saturday mornings on CBBC2 and presented by Fearne Cotton, Sam Nixon and Mark Rhodes. Most recently they have returned to CBBC to present another Saturday morning show - the successful "Hider in the House". The show consists of a celebrity living in a child's house, with one of the parents not knowing. The celebrity and children then have to do several tasks and challenges without the knowledge of the adult. They currently present Escape from Scorpion Island for CBBC and ABC in Australia.

Outside radio

Joel's passions away from radio include the television soap opera "Prisoner", as well as a love for professional wrestling. He co-hosts The Sun's WrestleCast with journalist Simon 'LilsBoy' Rothstein, interviewing WWE wrestlers. His dream is to work in the USA full time and be involved with wrestling in some writing/broadcasting capacity.

External links

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart/ JK and Joel's Radio 1 Chart Show page]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/djs/jkandjoel/ JK and Joel's Radio 1 page]
* [http://www.thesun.co.uk/section/0,,2006170000,00.html/ The Sun's WrestleCast]