March 2003

Hi Matt, thanks for taking the time to chat to us.

I have a few questions from other fans later, but let�s start off with something fairly straightforward. What would you say are your hobbies?
I love listening to music and I love seeing films. I�m also into basketball...not very good at playing, not tall enough, but I love to watch. I�m a fan of the Knicks!

What are your favourite and least favourite films?
�Leon� superb story, amazing actors, great score, beautifully directed...and all done in my favourite city � New York!
Don�t really have a least favourite film...I usually find something to enjoy in most films...after all...I am a popcorn monster!

Are there any other films or TV shows that you like?
For films, you have to check out �Best Laid Plans�, that�s one of my other favourite films. It's got such a fantastic twist...It�s a really dark movie about a guy and a girl who meet and get put in such an awful position after a drugs heist goes wrong!
On the telly I love Friends, ER, The West Wing, Jackass and South Park!

What�s your favourite band or artist?
I really don�t have an all time favourite, but at the moment I�m really into the Sugababes, Daniel Bedingfield and Matchbox 20.

Do you have a favourite song?
Hmmmm...can I put a few..?!
Daniel Bedingfield: If You're Not The One
Sting: Shape Of My Heart (cos its at the end of my fave film �Leon�)
Hootie and The Blowfish: Only Lonely
Neneh Cherry: Manchild

Which CD(s) do you have in your car right now?
Romeo and Juliet Soundtrack...Moulin rouge soundtrack...Matchbox 20�s album...The Sugababes album and Daniel Bedingfield�s album.

What was the last music CD you bought?
Ha ha...I can�t remember the last time I bought myself a CD...it was at least 6 years ago! That�s one of the perks of the job you see. For someone else...it was some opera singer bloke and I got it for my nan last Christmas!

Choc asks: If you could ban one song from the face of the planet, what would it be?
Well I wouldn�t want to ban one song, but a category of song...And that is...any tune that is the result of one of those TV pop idol, fame academy type shows.

What were you studying at Uni and why did you leave?
I was studying TV and Radio. Uni was great and I really enjoyed the lifestyle...problem is the course didn�t teach me anything. After 6 months I got offered a show on a radio station in Leeds and it seemed to be a bit of a short cut. Plus, the money was a bit better than a student loan!

How did you first get interested in radio?
Well, I love new music and I still think that hearing a great new song for the first time is one of the best feelings in the world...so I used to listen to the radio non stop to hear them...I always dreamed of being the DJ playing those songs to people.

Janet asks: How did you know that being a DJ was the career path for you?
Well I didn�t...and in a way I still don�t. I love doing radio and it feels great to be doing this job, but I could have gone to medical school to try and become a doctor. One day I got a break to be on the radio and it was a dream come true. From that point onwards I grasped it with both hands and followed my dream!

How did you become a DJ?
I did hospital and community radio for a few years from the age of 13...I was friends with a couple of DJs on local stations from phoning them every so often. One of them, Simon Hirst, was asked by his boss if he knew anyone new who wanted a weekend graveyard shift and he recommended me...so out of the blue...and whilst I was having a bath...the Deputy Programme Director rang me and asked for a tape...I sent one and about two months later I was on air at Hallam FM !

Which do you prefer, presenting a radio show or being the DJ in a club? What are the main differences in the skills required for each?
I really don�t like Djing in clubs very much...It�s nice once in a while, but I hate getting hassled by drunks! Playing in clubs is about two things...keeping the dancefloor moving and having good put downs for drunk p***s who ask for bad tunes! Being on the radio is more about entertaining and being relatable.

What are the best and worst things about your job?
Playing tunes and talking in-between for a living is the best part! The worst is that you never know what the future holds for you...Things change very quickly in radio...it�s a job with lots of pressure!

Choc: What's been the highlight of your career so far?
Being on BRMB. Meeting Jennifer Lopez was pretty hard to beat, but I had always set my sights on being a BRMB presenter and love it here!

Who have you most enjoyed interviewing?
Recently, Delta Goodrem who plays Nina in Neighbours...we had a laugh...she was lots of fun. It was an amazing moment to meet J-Lo though. She only granted 5 UK interviews and I managed to nab one of em!

If you couldn't work in radio any more, what would you do instead?
I would like to think I could be a doctor...I�d love to be a movie critic!

Where do you see yourself ten years from now?
I can�t even begin to wonder!

Janet: How does it feel that you have a "fanclub"?
Strange. I don�t deserve one at all...but I�m very flattered.

Are you ticklish and if so where?!
Yes...all over! Especially in �some� places.

Caz asks: Do you collect your bellybutton fluff???
No, but why is it always blue?

What's your favourite place to be on a cold winter evening?
Well, I�m thinking, log cabin in Switzerland, here...and the rules for that fantasy state that you have to have a big fluffy rug in front of a log fire with a significant other by your side...usually naked. That�s usually the idea isn�t it..?! Well it�ll do for me!

Naughty! So apart from that, do you have a tip for a great holiday?!
Spend as much as you can...don�t always go for the cheapest bargain, best deal etc...in the end they usually aren�t the best deals at all! If it�s your chance to get away from the real world for a couple of weeks...Make sure it�s really worthwhile!

You're into white-knuckle rides - what theme parks have you been to, and which is your favourite?
I�ve been to quite a few theme parks and have ridden on some of the world's best white knuckle rides...it�s a bit sad, but I would consider joining the rollercoaster club if they asked me! Lol! There�s just something about theme parks that�s so care free and fun� I love them. Alton Towers is a great theme park...but my favourites are the biggies like Disney World in Paris and Florida and Busch Gardens in Florida too!

Which rides do you like best?
Rollercoaster...Aerosmith Rock and Rollercoaster, Disney, Paris
Thrill ride...Tower of Terror, Disney MGM, Florida (it�s a haunted hotel with a broken lift that drops you 13 stories!)...arrrggghhhh!
Interactive ride...Alien Encounter, Disney, Florida. � You�re trapped in a room with an alien that breaks free of its cage! Really scary...the effects are amazing

And as far as fairground rides go� the scariest I�ve ever been on is �the bomber�. You�re at the end of a 120ft crane and the swing you round at 70mph� I was actually scared on that...but the rush was fantastic!

So what's the story behind this bungee-jump on air?!
Oh...I was being all brave one night on air and I got cocky and said I could do a bungee jump no problem...so a local gym called me and said they had one in their car park the next weekend...I kind of had to do it after that! It was a 150ft jump and I was mic-ed up for it! It is the single most frightening thing I�ve ever done. So exciting though. It�s impossible to describe to someone who has never done it what it feels like to jump off the top of a crane with only a bungee rope dangling from your legs...You have to remember that you can�t feel the rope cos it�s all relaxed before you jump so it feels like you aren�t attached to anything. I love it though...What an amazing sensation...! I�d do it again tomorrow!...Ooops, better be careful what I say!

Hehe! So, have you ever done anything that scared you so much you wouldn't want to repeat it?
Nope.

Do you have any ambitions left in life?
LOADS!!!!!!!!!!!! One of them is that I want to learn to fly.

Name 5 people you'd like to invite to a dinner party (they don't have to be contemporary)
The New York Knicks cheerleaders...just pick any 5 !
Or...Nicole Kidman, Matthew Perry, Kenny Everett, Justin Timberlake, Kylie!

Can you name something you wish someone would invent?
Something that would actually physically wake you up...I can sleep right through 3 alarm clocks going off...not good when you have to get up for the Sunday breakfast show at 5am!

What would be your ideal date?
A rooftop candle-lit meal somewhere in lower Manhattan

Is there any food or drink you really hate?
Apple pie makes me queasy!

Who was your childhood idol or hero?
Indiana Jones! Still is, too!

Who has been the greatest influence on your life?
My folks. They gave me such a wealth of experiences when I was growing up. I�m so grateful to them.

Do you have any brothers and sisters?
No...I�m a spoiled only child!

If you could revisit one day in your life, which one and why?
I remember a day on holiday in the south of France where myself and my parents were camping. We drove down the coast to St Tropez and had a look around and went for a meal in the evening time...it was just the kind of perfect chilled out day I would love to spend again.
I could be selfish and ask to go back to the day when I lost my virginity...I�d be better this time. I hope.

Lol! On that subject...what do think makes a person sexy?
Someone who is great looking can be even sexier if they have a cheeky playful attitude I think!

Pru asks: What's your favourite chatup line?
I really don�t have one...but the ice cube trick works a treat. Break up some ice in front of the person you fancy and then say �now that I�ve broken the ice...Fancy a drink�?!

Do you remember your first kiss? And family doesn't count!
My first kiss was at age 11. She said to me, if you like me prove it by kissing me...so I went for the peck on the cheek and she snogged my face off!

Who was your first crush?
Kylie...The first time round...I was so embarrassed when my mum found out!

Do you have a �significant other�?
I thought it was Scott Hughes?! But he�s denying it! Um, in seriousness, I am dating at the moment, yes.

Can you play any musical instruments?
No...but I did try to learn loads at school. Recorder, violin, cornet, piano, drums...I�d be the worst one man band in the world!

What song would you choose to sing for a karaoke session?
Anything...I wouldn�t know what I was singing, cos I�d be too drunk!

Can you cook?
I can only cook if it goes in the toaster or microwave!

I know the feeling! So bearing that in mind...what�s your favourite takeaway?
Pizza! Pizza Planet in Brum rocks!

Which historical figure do you most admire and why?
My old history teacher from school! I can�t really answer that one as I dropped history in the 3rd year...hated it!

What's your most embarrassing memory?
Seeing my friend�s mum naked! She forgot to lock the bathroom door when I was on a sleep-over there...scarred for life!

Has anything embarrassing ever happened on air?
I fell asleep once on air when I was doing an Ibiza broadcast! It had been a great night out in San Antonio and I hadn�t managed to get back to bed before having to go and present the breakfast show from our broadcast villa up in the mountains. I just popped my head down on the sofa there for a second and fell asleep for an hour. My producer hadn�t shown up because he had had an even bigger night than me! So, no one to wake me up! Ooops!

Ooops indeed!
If you could be invisible for a day, where would you go and what would you do?
Just for the hell of it I would go and check out some ladies changing rooms somewhere, cos you�d have to say you had done it! But I�d like to just play tricks on people by moving stuff around on their desks! Weird stuff like that, that would really freak them out!

What would be your first act as world leader?
I�d resign!

What's your favourite season and why?
Summer! Beer gardens...Skimpy clothes!

Do you have any regrets?
Yeah...I wish I had kept in touch with my old friends...those friendships are hard to re-build once you�re out of touch!

What do you consider your greatest asset?
I think I�m quite a fair person! I don�t jump to too many conclusions. That�s probably my greatest asset. Sorry, were you expecting something physical?!

Hehe! Not necessarily...
Choc: If you had a million pounds what would you do with it?
Houses, cars, holidays.

Choc: What special power would you wish to have?
The power to fly!!!!!

Leanne asks: What 3 items would you need with you on a desert island?
1. My contact lenses...or I would be screwed! 2.A comfy bed. 3. Some company!

Pru: What's your biggest fear?
Getting Old.

Pru: What's the bravest thing you've ever done?
I�m not sure I have ever done anything very brave. I was in a police line up once and I had to stand next to the crim...that was quite brave...Problem is, I think the witness picked me!!!!

How on earth did you get to be in a Police line up?!
Well, I was walking back to college one lunch time whilst doing my A-levels and a police officer came up to me and asked. I thought I was in trouble at first...but then he said he needed someone who was aged 20 to 30 and with black hair. I told him I was 16 with brown hair but he said that I would do....went to the police station that evening and took part...really scary though...they lock you up for a while because you can have no contact with the witnesses who will be walking through the building. It's not a mirrored window either...they just shine bright lights at you so you can't see them looking through the glass. You can make out brief silhouettes...I swear they pointed at me!!!! Argh!

Got 20 squid though...not bad for 2 hours work as a student.

Sounds fun...not! (Although the money must have been handy, admittedly!)
Pru: Who would you most like to meet?
I would have loved to meet my grandad who died shortly before I was born. Otherwise...I�d like to meet a movie director who wanted to put me in their next film. Even if it was a dodgy one!

Pru�s dad asks: Queen or Def Leopard?
Queen.

If your home was on fire, what 2 things would you rescue?
My playstation and my photos!

Ah, so you�re a gamer? What games would you recommend?
GRAND THEFT AUTO and GRAND THEFT AUTO VICE CITY....they should be made into movies! Such ace games...for anyone who doesn't know too much about the games you basically play a mercenary who gets up to naughty stuff for dosh! It's AWESOME!

Do you surf the Internet and if so, what are your 3 favourite websites?
www.earthcam.com � love the web cams!
www.play.com � cheap games and dvds !
don�t really have another!

Would you describe yourself as a spiritual person?
No, not really, I would be more of a philosopher...I do think about the weirdest things sometimes.

Have you ever seen a UFO?
I want to!

What's the most unusual gift you have ever received?
A calendar for a company one of my relatives runs...It had a different mantra on each day, but was a freebie...that was my Christmas present one year! Came in handy though!

What is your most annoying habit?
My attention to detail...everything has to be spot on!

I'm glad I didn't know that before starting this interview!...Is there anything that makes you cry?
Yeah...I don�t really cry but I�m really bad for getting a bit teary and getting a lump in the throat at sad movies!

Which do you prefer - a nice long soak in the bath or an invigorating shower?
Shower...I have three a day!

Do you own any pets?
No, but the family has two great cats. They are Si-rex a very cheeky and loveable breed...they are very talkative too!

Were you born at home or in hospital (or in a carpark or whatever!)
I was born in a hospital� and not only that an infirmary because I was too complicated for the normal maternity hospital! 24 hours of labour for my mum! You see I was awkward before I was even born!!!!

There's no answer to that! What would you most like to have that money cannot buy?
A guarantee of no sadness in life...ever.

Choc: What would you wish for if you had three wishes?
A cure for anyone who is unwell.
Enough money to do whatever I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
...and to go into space. That would be cool.

What would you say is your philosophy on life?
To do as much with your time as you can!

What are you most proud of having achieved?
I�m proud that I accomplished my dream, by getting the job I always hoped for.

If you had to devise a recipe for happiness, what would the ingredients be?
Lots of friends, beaten together with a stressfree attitude with a few spoonfuls of money mixed in!

I think that�s a good note on which to end.

Thanks again, Matt!

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