Guest posts

Introducing - Allan Lake

September 9th, 2008

Posted By adam

I’m Allan Lake and I’ll be honest with you all - I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited about anything in my whole life. I actually grew up with this station and the fact that I’m going to be part of the team bringing it to the next level is wicked. It should also make a lot of you feel quite old.

My first presenter job was on Isle of Wight Radio when I was 16. The programme controller described me as a ‘loose cannon’ which I used to love because I thought it meant I was cool… I later learnt he meant I was all over the place, reckless and couldn’t be trusted. When he sacked me (just for saying ‘the phones lines for the competition are as open as Jordan’s Legs!’) he eased the blow by saying ‘I’m sure one day you’ll be working on a big station, like GWR Bristol or 2 TEN FM.”

I’m so sorry to disappoint you Andy.

After being pushed around the country, fired from one station to the next, I find myself in Cardiff, Wales living in my girlfriend’s parent’s house like the real life Gavin and Stacey. In fact, the only difference is:

  • I’m not from Essex
  • I don’t drive a car
  • I don’t worry about carrying EXACT CASH for the Toll Bridge.

I do love living in Wales mind so I’ll be sad to go. I’ve become accustomed to saying “lush” and ending sentences with a question… is it?

I’ve worked for tonnes of stations over the years, mostly for very short periods of time… usually because THEY JUST DON’T GET ME. I’m so happy to finally be at a station that isn’t afraid of making mistakes, that is going to try stuff.

Anyway, you’ll hear me on Absolute Radio really soon, in the middle of night mind, but that’s probably for the best. The management will be asleep or out in dodgy Soho members clubs, so no one will hear the naughty bits we will end up doing!

Seriously, I can’t wait to come to Golden Square and work with the people that I have looked up to for years, I have been ashamed of some the stations that I have been on. Finally something good on the horizon!

Allan

10 Comments

  1. Adam,
    September 9th, 2008 at 10:12 am:

    Good luck on Absolute Radio Allan! It will be great to hear you on a decent station, at last, and get the new look AllanLake.com and the new forum full with all your fans old and new! Absolute Radio all the way…

    Adam from http://www.allanlake.com


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  2. Kellie Billson,
    September 9th, 2008 at 2:00 pm:

    Hi Allan, Good to see you back on a big station, where you belong! Tuned into your Nation show last week online from London and sounded brilliant, slick and funny! Hope for you to bring a bit of that here! Good Luck.. Smelly Kellie x


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  3. Will Chambers,
    September 9th, 2008 at 7:07 pm:

    And which are the stations that you were ashamed to work on then??? Go on, I can take it.

    Good luck Lakus Maximus.


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  4. Graham Kirk,
    September 9th, 2008 at 7:31 pm:

    Only heard you a few times on Q Radio and Invicta. As a former Programme Director I reckon you are probably one of the better younger presenters around today, who will go onto bigger things. Absolute Radio looks like they are actully investing in content and care about what the audience wants, this is weird for commercial radio in the UK. Good luck, may the weirdness continue.


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  5. Simon Timothy Green,
    September 10th, 2008 at 12:30 pm:

    I love you Allan Lake! Like a brother, obviously!

    Good luck with the new show, should be good!


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  6. OllyintheOffice,
    September 10th, 2008 at 7:01 pm:

    Alan, best of luck, I see that my former colleague Clive has managed to finally lure you to one of his stations. Clive is a very talented radio professional and will surely make Absolute into a great radio station.


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  7. MJ Ray,
    September 11th, 2008 at 11:07 am:

    yaaaaaaaay! This is fantastic news! Nation Wales might become listenable before 11am again! The music was mostly OK (especially what sounded like free picks) but no more psychics high on painkillers or students being harassed into stripping! ;-)


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  8. andy,
    September 11th, 2008 at 7:18 pm:

    alan. good look on absolute i did hear your show on core freshhits but that station has obviously closed now! but you are coming to a better station now! good luck! will enjoy listening


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  9. adam,
    September 17th, 2008 at 1:02 pm:

    Hey Allan. Used to stay up to listen to you on Viking FM as a young teen but you left :( every time i’d manage to track down where you’d moved on to you’d leave and go somewhere else!! Glad I’ve finally found you before your show starts for a change. Good luck mate and try to keep this one, its a good’un! ;-)


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  10. Sam,
    September 28th, 2008 at 1:47 pm:

    Allan, I’ve been listening to the radio for 20 years. You are a breath of fresh air. Go for it Mister.


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