"will edith miss colin?"

"course i will... he's not moving to outer mongolia though... only to 10pm and the office over the corridor.

e
xxxxxxxxxx"

Yesterday, Colin and Edith did their last ever show together on Radio 1. Due to Radio 1 scheduling changes, Edith will be continuing the 1-4pm afternoon slot and Colin gets a specialist show between 10pm-12am. Ergo, it needs a blog entry, but in true Nik fashion, I don't know what to write.

Gayle told me about the scheduling changes during one of our phone marathons during T in the Park coverage on BBC Three*. To say I was not impressed was an understatement. Especially when Cat helpfully offered the information that "it's just like when they split up Jo Whiley and Steve Lemaq, but it's hard to image they were ever together now." I have been listening to Colin and Edith since Edith won Fame Academy, so that's at least a year and a half. They're the reason I started listening to Radio 1, and they're the reason I decided I want to work in radio. As much as Chris Moyles mocks the fact that they're "the only duo who never work together", it got to the point where I would switch on the radio and wait to hear Colin's voice to know that they were both in the studio. I mean, yes I do like hearing them on their own but they work off each other so well that it makes great radio when they're together.

Then I was messing about on the Radio 1 messageboard and reading some of Colin's posts about his new show:

"All that happened was that i went to my bosses and said that I fancied a different challenge. Luckily, they had been looking at new nighttime opportunities and things, obviously, worked out rather easily.

I am so so excited about the new show, even though I'll miss the banter with Edith. She, i believe, feels the same.

Those who actually listen to our show will also know how little I care about what mainstream recognition brings, so this decision was made in the same way any of you would make occupation decisions. And if edith and I didn't have such a good relationship, we'd just have stayed as we were, collected our money and enjoyed the commercial success. But I don't care for that."

They both seem really excited about their new shows but it's just going to take a lot of getting used to not hearing them together. Especially when Colin is off air from now until the 25th September... I have a lot of issues with most of the new scheduling but then, I'm not the head of Radio 1, and they clearly know what they're doing.

Friday's show they were on top form, with Colin getting hold of a police badge and consequently yelling, "Police! Freeze!" at every available opportunity until Edith informed him that that is not what real police yell and demonstrated a more logical statement to yell. Consequently Colin changed his statement. Slightly....

"Freeze! Top Federal Agent!"
"Babe, you're not a Federal Agent..."
"Use your imagination! What did you do when you were a kid? Knit?!"

He also actively encouraged everyone to make a police badge so they could pretend they were part of the police force. But not one that looks exactly like a real badge you understand, that could lead to arrest under the charge of impersonating a police officer.




Colin and Edith, good luck with your new shows. I'll miss you guys together, but I guess this is the start of a new era.




*Yes, the red button incident.