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Get to know Greatest Hits Radio's Alex Lester

Find out how to listen to his show

Author: Hazel ScottPublished 13th Aug 2023
Last updated 2nd Apr 2024

Early risers will be familiar with Greatest Hits Radio's fantastic presenter Alex Lester. He's on our air-waves every Monday to Friday with his Music Marathon from 1am and The Best Time Of The Day Show from 4am.

We asked some questions to help you get to know Alex a bit better and also put together a handy guide so you can find out more about his brilliant show.

Who is Alex Lester?

DJ and broadcaster Alex Lester has hosted a number of radio shows since he began his career in the 70s. He joined us on Greatest Hits Radio in 2020 and has been entertaining our listeners on weekday mornings ever since.

What is Alex Lester's nickname?

You might also have heard Alex being referred to by his nickname, The Dark Lord!

When is Alex Lester on Greatest Hits Radio?

You can listen to Alex Lester's show on Greatest Hits Radio from Monday to Friday, with the Music Marathon from 1am-4am and The Best Time Of The Day Show from 4am-6am.

Where is Alex Lester now?

You can find Alex Lester on Greatest Hits Radio where he hosts his own show every weekday morning. Joking about what else he is up to now, he said: "Is this not enough…? I’m available for Pantomime and Life Modelling."

Is Alex Lester married?

Yes, he is. Alex married Kerry in 2011 and because of his own nickname, The Dark Lord, he often refers to his wife as The Dark Lady.

What can we expect from Alex Lester's show on Greatest Hits Radio?

According to Alex: "Joy and laughter."

What’s Alex's favourite thing about presenting his radio show?

Alex revealed he loves that: "It’s just the two of us. You and me. (Against the world)."

What can listeners expect from Alex Lester's Greatest Hits Radio show?

Alex has promised to deliver: "Your favourite songs. Bizarre insights and unusual thoughts."

How different is presenting on radio compared to TV?

Reflecting on this, Alex explained: 'I’m talking to you and you alone. Plus I don’t have to brush my hair."

What is his go-to track to listen to in the car?

Alex told us that it's Earth, Wind & Fire's extremely catchy track 'September'.

To listen to while he's driving, Alex also chose the upbeat and powerful 'Born to Run' by Bruce Springsteen.

Watch 'Born to Run' by Bruce Springsteen:

What does Alex Lester love about his show on Greatest Hits Radio?

"We can invent stuff and run with it thanks to your input," Alex told us.

Which song is his good times anthem?

He picked Cyndi Lauper's 80s anthem 'Girls Just Want To Have Fun'.

Alex also added that for him, the good times sound like: 'The Dark Lady (Mrs Lester) laughing (usually at me).'

What have been Alex Lester's favourite TV shows to be part of?

Recalling the best TV shows to be on, Alex said: "Two episodes of Call My Bluff, one of Celebrity Eggheads, and co-presenting The Boat Show on BBC2.

"Have not transformed me into the global entertainment phenomenon I envisaged. I’m still not Mr. Saturday night!"

Does Alex have Twitter?

He does and he regularly posts about his show on Greatest Hits Radio. You can follow him here to get involved.

Is he on Facebook?

You can Like Alex's The Best Time Of The Day Show page on Facebook to see all of his updates.

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Alex on Ken Bruce joining Greatest Hits Radio

Legendary broadcaster Ken Bruce join our presenter line-up back in April 2023, hosting his show from 10am-1pm and bringing PopMaster with him. Welcoming Ken, Alex shared a sweet tweet.

Who are the presenters on Greatest Hits Radio?

Check out some of the fantastic presenters that make up the Greatest Hits Radio line-up.

Ken Bruce

Greatest Hits Radio is the home of the legend that is Ken Bruce, weekdays 10am-1pm - including PopMaster, the UK's biggest music quiz for 25 years and counting.
Find out more about Ken and PopMaster.

Simon Mayo

Simon Mayo hosts Drivetime every weekday at 4pm and The Album Show on Sundays from 1pm.

Simon said of his Drivetime show: "I think the thing about Drivetime is that it is like the flip side of breakfast. You kind of know what an awful lot of people are doing, it's the end of most people's day, they're doing some final bits of work, they're shutting the laptop, they're doing a bit of food preparation, they're driving home. I think it is that sense of camaraderie, it's the end of the day, people want to be cheered up and they want to spend some time with some decent folk on the radio!"

Find out more about Simon Mayo here.

Paul Gambaccini

Paul brings us his famous America's Greatest Hits programme every Saturday between 5pm-7pm, featuring two hours of the Greatest Hits that made it big in America.

Sharing some of the things he loves about his show, Paul said: "Radio is the perfect form of one-to-one communication. TV can be direct, too, but the camera operator is always in your line of vision! I enjoy sharing my favourite music, and my admittedly freakish knowledge of it, with people who care about that music. I love the opportunity for challenging talk overs, too!"

Find out more about Paul Gambaccini here.

Alex Lester

The Dark Lord keeps you company in the small hours. Join him for the Music Marathon from 1am and the Best Time Of The Day Show 4-6am weekdays.

Alex brings: "Your favourite songs. Bizarre insights and unusual thoughts," to his show and told us that he loves that during his show: "It's just the two of us. You and me. (Against the world)."

Find out more about Alex Lester here.

Jenny Powell

Jenny plays the biggest songs of the 70s, 80s and 90s on Greatest Hits Radio to kickstart your weekend, every Saturday and Sunday from 6am.

On Jenny's show, listeners can look forward to The Breakfast Club, which she says is: "A warm-up for the weekend, full of positive vibes and feel-good factor when you wake up on Saturdays and Sundays. I insist you have a dance with me on the Kitchen Disco, I share some fun news stories from the previous week on The Headliners and get you smiling no matter what, sharing some of my favourite tracks from the 70s, 80, and 90s."

Find out more about Jenny Powell here.

Andy Crane

Join Andy's late-night community of music and company, Sunday-Thursday at 10pm.

Andy has three hours of the biggest songs from the 70s, 80s and 90s as well as The Top 10 at 10 and Midnight Music Marathon. His show is full of: "Great music and plenty of laughing."

Find out more about Andy Crane here.

Martin Kemp

Join Martin Kemp with The Mix Tape every Friday from 7pm!

Martin has got "the perfect soundtrack to start your weekend," and his show includes: "All the biggest songs of the 70s 80s and 90s that we grew up listening to on full volume. I'll give you TV recommendations for your weekend, there's always a slow dance at the end, and I turn the decks over to you to pick your favourite songs. Plus plenty of stories from my career in music, film and TV. We always have a good laugh and the music is absolutely popping."

Find out more about Martin Kemp here.

Jackie Brambles

Jackie Brambles hosts The Evening Show every Monday to Thursday from 7pm - 10pm.

Jackie promises to deliver: "Great music and great conversations! Every night we're joined by one of your favourite artists of the 70s, 80s and 90s for an in-depth chat about the highs and lows of their careers and their musical influences over the years."

Find out more about Jackie Brambles here.

Kate Thornton

Catch Kate Thornton on Saturdays from 7pm! It's the best night of the week - so if it's a kitchen disco you're after, Kate will make it fun and have you dancing and laughing with her perfect blend of playlist and good times chat.

Kate explained what listeners can expect from her show: "It's the kind of show that lets you know it's Saturday night, no matter where you're listening in from and no matter who you're with. Three hours of songs that make a night in feel like a night out if you're with friends, or offers up the soundtrack for the perfect party for one if you're tuning in alone."

Find out more about Kate Thornton here.

Richard Allinson

Richard Allinson is live on Greatest Hits Radio on Saturday afternoons from 1pm with the perfect Soundtrack of the biggest songs of the 70s, 80s and 90s and weekend anthems.

Speaking about his show, Richard said: "The idea is to recreate all those great memories I have of Saturday afternoons growing up, a bunch of us meeting up to buy clothes, records, maybe sort a date…everything happened on a Saturday and we remember the records we played at that time."

Find out more about Richard Allinson here.

Des Paul

Join Des for Rhythm Of The Night every Friday and Saturday night from 10pm, where he plays all the greatest soul, funk, disco and Motown hits to start your weekend.

Des explained what he loves the most about his show: "The favourite bit of presenting Rhythm of the Night is when listeners contact me to say how much they've loved hearing a particular track and then tell us all about when and where they used to hear it."

Find out more about Des Paul here.