Jordan North Interview – “I’m a radio boy through and through”

BBC Radio 1 presenter and former Spark presenter Jordan North opened up the new Spark Studio 5 today.

Opening the redesigned studio, North said: “If this studio was here when I was a student, I would never have left.”

“I mean I never left when I was here, I was here all the time, doing every hour God sends but this is a state of the art, proper radio studio and I’m really proud and very honoured to be here and be asked to open it today.”

We sat down with North to talk over the importance of his time at Spark, the advice he’s received, and just how well Burnley will manage this season…

I’ll start with the most important question. How do you think Burnley will do this season? Happy with Sean Dyche staying on?

I think we might struggle but we should be alright. Very happy with Sean Dyche. Yeah, he’s just signed a new contract until 2025, so we’ve got him for another four years. I think as long as Dyche is there, we’ll stay up. It’s not been a great start to the season but we didn’t have a great start last season and we managed to stay up. As long as we stay up, I’m happy. And I want a good cup run as well.

A good cup run? This season, or ten years time?

No, now! A really good cup run!

So, I’m a Celebrity… runner up, what was the most important thing you learnt from your time there?

Well, I’ve said many times before it’s the best thing I’ve ever done. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done, but I wouldn’t do it again, not a chance. It’s a once in a lifetime thing. It very nearly didn’t happen. It’s a show I’ve watched since I was younger, I used to watch it when I was here at Uni. And when they asked me to do it at first I thought ‘I can’t,’ at first I was a bit iffy. But my mum persuaded me to do it and the one thing I’ve learnt from it is that I am a bit braver than I thought.

It’s given me a completely new lease on life. Before I used to live in a little safe, comfortable lane and never used to dip my toe in other waters and now I’m trying new things and I said ‘If I can get in a coffin full of snakes I can get on a plane and go to New York,’ ‘cos I’ve always wanted to go to New York but I’ve never been because I’m terrified of flying. So, yeah, it’s given me a new lease of life. It’s little things like I would never ever get in a lift and I’ve started getting in lifts with friends and stuff now. if I really put my mind to something I can do it, and it was the best experience of my life. It really was.

Speaking of experience, obviously, started at Spark, what was the most important lesson you learnt at Spark?

The thing I learnt the most at Spark is, well, I love the place and I love the people and I’ve got a lot of time for Spark and try to give some of my time now to the university and the station. The thing I learnt the most was you’ve got to try new things. I literally did every show, I did a music show, I did a talk show, I did a Sunday afternoon show and then I started doing entertainment radio and that’s when I learnt about the presenter that I wanted to be. My one bit of advice and the lesson I learnt was ‘try everything,’ try producing, try doing OBs, try the technical side, try working on the website and see what you want to do at the radio station, and for me, it was making funny, entertaining radio, and I’m still trying to do that now. Trying.

Do you wish you had this studio while you were a student?

I wish this studio was here, yeah. If this studio was here when I was a student, I would never have left. I mean I never left when I was here, I was here all the time, doing every hour God sends but this is a state of the art, proper radio studio and I’m really proud and very honoured to be here and be asked to open it today. Yeah, it’s fantastic, it really is.

You’re doing a show with Beverley Callard from I’m a Celebrity…, Destination Wedding, what do you know about wedding dresses and fashion for weddings?

Well, I can’t say too much about it because I’ll get in trouble with ITV but there is a new show coming out very soon and all I’m going to say is that it was another great experience with a lady who I grew up watching on the telly and if you’d have said to me when I was 10-years-old ‘you’ll be going on a road trip through Spain, from the top of Spain to the bottom of Spain, with Coronation Street’s Liz McDonald,’ I’d have never believed you.

She’s a very close friend of mine now she actually text me a couple of nights before. We speak most days and I’m really, really excited for people to see this TV show. It’s very new to me, telly. I’m radio through and through, but yeah I’m looking forward to people seeing it. I hope the audience loves it as much as we did.

Do you think there’ll be more reality TV for you in the future?

I’d never say never to reality TV, but I think my only trouble is now is that I’ve done the best one. It’s either Strictly or I’m a Celeb, and if you ask me I’m a Celeb is the best one. I’ve watched that show since I was a kid, but never say never, you know, I might want a new kitchen in a few years and I’m doing stuff at the moment, I’m doing TV at the moment that I want to do. You get asked to do all sorts and I’m under no allusions that in a few years from now I’ll be propping up some bar in Burnley telling people I used to be on I’m a Celebrity – but I’m doing stuff now that I want to do.

I’m doing Catchphrase, I’m doing The Wheel with Michael McIntyre and Blankety Blank so it’s all stuff I used to watch when I was younger and that’s fun. Everyone loves Catchphrase, it’s perfect. That’s kind of where I’m going, but I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, I’m a radio boy through and through. I’m on the radio every day doing a job that I love, and I feel very lucky. As long as I’ve got the radio, anything else that comes along, I’m happy.