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Original poster

To hate Jo Wiley

774 replies

bridgetjonesmassivepants · 03/05/2018 18:43

Not personally obviously, surprisingly enough I don't know her, but I love the Radio 2 Drivetime programme and she is going to ruin it. I find her voice grating, she has a babyish breathy style that is highly irritating. The Drivetime show was perfect and now they have got rid of homework, foody Thursday with Nigel and they are getting rid of MATT!!!! Are they crazy???

I'm all for gender equality but why can't Jo share a show with Steve Wright as his show is already awful.

I know I may be getting this out of proportion but it feels like this show is part of my life and it's just gone.

OP posts:
Kernowgal · 11/06/2018 20:45

I used to switch the radio on at 5pm especially to listen to Simon and team. A faithful listener every evening and especially on Fridays. I've tried listening to the new show a couple of times but have ended up switching off after five minutes. The spark has gone. Matt used to make me laugh whenever he started guffawing, and I loved his Dr Mosh section on Wednesdays. Nigel was great on Thursdays.

I used to like Jo when she was on R1 with Steve Lamacq, but I found her R2 evening show a bit samey and wannabe, with massive clangs every time she dropped someone's name. I also remember her making an incredibly offensive comment about Alison Goldfrapp's cellulite during the Glastonbury coverage some years ago, and at that point I lost any respect for her.

I predict it'll drag on for another couple of months at most until Simon has had enough and quits. I'd far rather Jo replaced the dreadful Steve Wright, whose time was up a long time ago.

catintheworld · 11/06/2018 20:52

what a horrible bullying thread. I really hope Jo Whiley doesn't stumble upon this. I 've always liked her presenting style anyway.

AnneEyhtMeyer · 11/06/2018 21:08

How is it bullying to say that someone foisted on a successful popular show and upsetting the listeners because of their lack of warmth should not be on it?

My pity lies with the other people that lost their jobs on the show.

catintheworld · 11/06/2018 21:15

AnneEyhtMeyer , I don't know about people losing their jobs for tis show so can't comment on that.

While it's fine to say you are not a fan, what I didn't like about this thread was there seem to be a lot of people criticising her voice and manner. To see a long line of people saying 'yeah, I hate her too because she is sycophantic, has a babyish breathy voice, etc....' reminds me a bit of kids ganging up in the playground.

The OP's post was fine. Probably individual opinions are fine but the thread seems to have run away with itself and become a list of things people don't like about her.

Doesn't sit comfortably with me.

sweetboykit · 11/06/2018 21:23

I'm having a huge problem trying to find a replacement for the old show. The best I've found is Magic, but there's not enough chat. Jo is too egocentric, hogs the microphone, boring and is patronising to callers. She mimicked and laughed at a cockney accent. I'm furious that my evening routine has been ruined by her hogging drive time. I'd tell her all of this to her face. I hope she does read this and use it to improve her performance.

MrsMozart · 11/06/2018 21:30

I tried again today as had to be driving at that time. DH was with me. We lasted ten minutes max. It actually made me ridiculously sad when I heard Simon's voice and relaxed into 'Drivetime', but it was so short lived Confused

And balony bullying Hmm. JW is in the public sphere and we're paying for her. We're not enjoying it. We've tried complaining to the BBC and we get fobbed off with patronising emails. A number of us have said she and her voice and presenting style suits the later slots, where she used to be, and SM suits the Drivetime slot.

smallchanceofrain · 11/06/2018 22:01

I won't listen to JW on principle. She played a DJ set at the Greyhound Derby last year. I hate greyhound racing. I'm not listening to someone who supports it. I feel sad for Simon. I used to love his show and he's been a part of my drive home for as long as I can remember.

CousinQuandry · 11/06/2018 22:09

I think it's fine to say you don't like the new show with 2 presenters without laying all the blame at Jo Wiley's feet.

They just don't work together.

But I would hate to see the old drivetime in exactly the same format come back! God it was dull dull dullsville on a very dull day. I like Simon Mayo but it was a tired old format and people ringing in from their Friday night motorway traffic jams does not a primetime BBC radio show make.

wowfudge · 11/06/2018 22:20

The new show still has all request Friday - one of the most popular things about the Drivetime show as was. Have you actually heard the new show?

CousinQuandry · 11/06/2018 22:46

"Have you actually heard the new show?"

Who are you directing that question to wowfudge ?

BitOutOfPractice · 12/06/2018 06:55

I smirked my head off when she played "I Love Music" last night. Really Jo? You've not mentioned that!

That was the only 5 minutes I heard when I popped to the shops and it was on in the car from the morning. Other than that I've got out of the habit of listening to it.

crumpet · 12/06/2018 06:59

Seems a bit rich to blame this solely on her. There are 2 presenters involved...

wowfudge · 12/06/2018 07:05

You @CousinQuandry (who did you think?) as you described Simon Mayo's show as having a tired old format and singled out all request Friday when that's one of the things which has been kept.

BitOutOfPractice · 12/06/2018 07:06

I think the general consensus if the thread is that the show in general doesn't work crumpet and that the thread title doesn't reflect the overarching feelings of the thread as a whole.

I do, however, loathe Jo's presenting style. Always have. I'm sure she's a perfectly nice woman, kind to animals and children etc. I just don't like her as a DJ.

QueenieS · 12/06/2018 07:33

She is a mumsnetter so might see this.

I hope not. She honestly is very kind and lovely in RL.

BitOutOfPractice · 12/06/2018 07:45

When it comes to the reaction to this show I think MN is probably the least of her worries. It has been panned universally. And she is getting most of the flack because she is the thing that's changed iyswim

I think it's very interesting how strongly people feel about "their" radio shows. much more than TV shows I think. It really does feel personal when it's radio.

lostinsunshine · 12/06/2018 07:56

She's like the bit annoying but harmless friend you have to manage in social situations. If you're lucky she gets the mood of the night out and is great fun to be with. She's surprisingly good in a tricky situation. You like her regardless of the bit annoying. Yes I am projecting her onto someone I know.
Totally not a drive time mass audience sort of dj.

Whowouldfardelsbear · 12/06/2018 08:49

I'm a recent discoverer of the Confessions podcast, though a long-time Wittertainee.

I downloaded the podcast and exhausted the available back catalogue fairly quickly. The latest have just not been the same without Matt, and I found the butting-in on the passport confession really out of place!

Does anybody know where I could access more of the back catalogue of Confessions Podcasts? Are they even available? My podcast app only gave me casts dating back till about a year ago and I would love to get my hands on the rest if possible.

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 12/06/2018 08:56

I don’t know if it is available. The old ones used to disappear after about 4 weeks. It’s only the newer style ones that stay permanently.

TheKitchenWitch · 12/06/2018 13:52

Interesting that catintheworld etc aren't commenting on the astonishing amount of flack that Steve Wright is also getting on this thread, even though it isn't even about him.

Some djs are not very popular, or have a very niche audience. Jo Whiley is totally and absolutely one of them - she is very divisive in her presenting style, and has a very limited scope.

Drivetime, a very very popular show was torn apart and replaced with her and SM, and regardless of whose idea it was, SHE is the one who is new and doesn't fit into the show, the time slot nor get along with the resident (as in was there before her) presenter for that slot.

I don't think it's bullying. The objections are perfectly reasonable.

People's opinions on her presenting style - well, that's personal opinions for you, and I think if you are in the public eye then you probably do realise that there will be people who want to hurl things at the radio when you come on.
But nobody has said they think she's an awful person have they? - it's all been directed at her in a professional capacity. In fact, there's lots of comments along the lines of "I'm sure she's lovely and great to have a drink with but I don't want to listen to her at drivetime". Which is absolutely fair enough.

Jo Whiley - if indeed you ARE a MNer, and you do in fact read this thread, then please take note. Although I'm sure (as BitOutOfPRactice above pointed out) an thread on MN is the least of her worries - the show is bombing absolutely everywhere.

Jummers · 12/06/2018 20:44

There's just something really irritating about JW's presenting style. The old drivetime show wasn't broken and didn't need fixed. The BBC simply needed to drive up their diversity quota by having a woman in a prominent slot.

Fontella · 12/06/2018 23:40

what a horrible bullying thread.

Nothing remotely bullying about it. She's a celebrity in the public eye and people have opinions about her presenting style, not all of which are favourable. Look at the stick Steve Wright has taken on this thread and I don't see anyone leaping to his defence. I can't stand Chris Evans and am entitled to say so .... but that doesn't mean I'm bullying him.

There is a plethora of opinion about the new Drivetime format - not just on here but all over the internet - and generally people are not favourable towards it, much preferring the show as it was. Lots of posters have made clear that they have nothing personal against Jo Whiley but don't want to listen to her at 5pm on a weekday.

But not in any way, shape or form could it be deemed 'bullying', and there is no need to be so over dramatic.

wowfudge · 13/06/2018 11:06

Not bullying at all - we're allowed to state our opinions. Fwiw I used to listen to her evening show regularly and enjoyed it. It's the enforced partnership of her and Simon on the Drivetime show that a lot of the posters on this thread don't think is working.

drumandthebass · 15/06/2018 10:17

I listened to the show last night to see if it had improved- which it hadn't.

The phone in was 'what has exasperated you today". Did anyone text in with 'your show'?

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