BBC RADIO 1’S RESIDENT DJ TALKS TO ROXY BOURDILLON ABOUT BIG BROTHER, EXERCISING WITH HER GIRLFRIEND, AND BEING OUT ON THE AIRWAVES

ADELE ROBERTS

“Ok, so I get up at two in the morning”, Adele Roberts casually informs me, as if she’s not relaying truly horrifying information. “Then breakfast, in the taxi by three, into work by half three.” I’m so gobsmacked, my jaw nearly makes direct contact with the floor of the BBC canteen. Still calm, still matter-of-fact, she explains, “I try to sleep at least twice a day and get at least six hours across the two sleeps”. Now I knew she’d be an early riser, what with her four to 6.30am slot on Radio 1, but I can’t help being equal parts fascinated and appalled by this gruelling nap schedule.

But then, Adele’s dedication, to both her career and the causes closest to her heart, is abundant. As we sit together at Broadcasting House, overlooking the buzzing 24-hour newsroom below, she tells me: “Sometimes you get up, it’s cold, it’s dark, and you haven’t seen the sun for ages, and it does feel tough. I know it sounds really cheesy, but as soon as I get into the studio and start speaking to the listeners, they always make me feel happy. They really do.” She’s not cheesy, she’s heartfelt, and her sense of duty to her loyal listeners is so great, she even turned down an invite to this year’s Brits. “I am such a sad effort”, she laughs. “I feel very lucky that I got invited, but I just didn’t want to chance it. The listeners come first.” But come on, this is the Brits we’re talking about. Wasn’t she in the slightest bit tempted to pull a cheeky all-nighter and head straight from afterparty to studio? “No, because I’ve learned from people that have done it before. It doesn’t end well!”

I can’t believe my luck when Adele offers me an impromptu tour of BBC HQ. We stroll through the EastEnders themed floor (complete with a Queen Vic meeting room and an Albert Square hot-desking area), the artists’ entrance (where the swankiest VIP guests arrive), and right past Scott Mills presenting his show (he waves at Adele and we both wave back, me slightly too enthusiastically considering we’ve never actually met). Everyone we pass seems to adore Adele and it’s easy to see why. She’s warm, humble and genuine. And she swears she hasn’t paid them off to make her look popular!