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Becca Monaghan
Jul 30, 2021
The iconic DJ wraps up her final BBC Radio 1 show after 17 years
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The love poured in for Annie Mac on Friday evening after the legendary DJ took to the air for her last BBC Radio 1 show after 17 years. The 43-year-old joined the team as an assistant producer before hosting her own show in 2004. She announced her decision to leave the station back in April to spend more time with her family.
She opened her emotional finale by saying: “It’s been 17 years and tonight we celebrate.”
“Tonight is going to be hopefully a really, really fun and nostalgic and hopefully not too emo ride.
“I have got the waterproof mascara on, my hands are actually shaking.”
Ahead of her final Future Sounds show, the DJ took to Instagram with a throwback photo of herself when she started out in the industry. She captioned the image: “It’s been a wild and thrilling ride. Thank you so much for allowing this excitable Dublin girl to play you music for 17 years - we go again one more time tonight. Xxx”
Emotional fans and friends of Annie flocked to Twitter to mark the ‘end of an era’. The overwhelming love for the DJ prompted her to trend for hours with the likes of Nick Grimshaw, Scott Mills, Fatboy Slim, Danny Howard and Pete Tong, among the hundreds of tweets.
this is how much you mean to us all @anniemacmanus ❤️ thank you thank you thank you https://t.co/RTOq7wdzBT— BBC Radio 1 (@BBC Radio 1) 1627667987
not me crying to High Contrast @anniemacmanus @BBCR1 LETS DO THIS GUYS!!!! THE LAST FRIDAY WITH ANNIE! 💕💕💕💕💕💕— nick grimshaw (@nick grimshaw) 1627664553
Feeling emotional listening to @anniemacmanus Annie you’re the BEST ❤️ get @BBCR1 on NOW— Scott Mills (@Scott Mills) 1627665450
@BBCR1 when we saw you at warehouse project back in 2017, our friend was so trollied that straight after your set h… https://t.co/6WzEL9BM4e— Philip (@Philip) 1627665627
Everyone listen to @anniemacmanus on @BBCR1 right now!!! Legendary business and end of an era 😢💔— Danny Howard (@Danny Howard) 1627664756
Having the usual Friday night kitchen rave to Annie Mac, absolutely gutted its her last ever @BBCR1 show 😭😭 What an… https://t.co/B1t22JmBi9— Ben Martin (@Ben Martin) 1627669212
If you aren’t listening to Annie Mac’s last show you are doing it all wrong— Charlotte Haley (@Charlotte Haley) 1627668490
Thanks again @anniemacmanus for impeccable service to the rave, we’ll miss having you on our airwaves but we’ll fol… https://t.co/redL9OUd6J— Fatboy Slim (@Fatboy Slim) 1627636375
national annie mac week— toddlat (@toddlat) 1627322594
So unbelievably sad Annie Mac is leaving @BBCR1 an absolute icon within the dance music community and inspiration t… https://t.co/Fb4x8A4mXl— 𝙻𝚎𝚠𝚒𝚜 (@𝙻𝚎𝚠𝚒𝚜) 1627667794
the love for annie mac on the timeline rn is incredible, i’m here for all of it— alaina 🏳️🌈 (@alaina 🏳️🌈) 1627667664
Speaking to the Radio Times about her departure, she said: “I feel annoyed being grateful that we have a female breakfast show presenter on Radio 2 [Zoe Ball] or 6 Music [Lauren Laverne].”
“We shouldn’t be grateful. It should be a given, not an anomaly.”
Annie said that she was always “very encouraged” by Radio 1 and “the commitment they have to women.”
Clara Amfo will be taking Annie’s place on the show, which Annie says was “the most sensible and inspired choice”.