JK on Joel

Joel grew up in Hell (Scarborough actually).

He was his parents’ only boy and often felt pulled in different directions by them. Mum wanted young Joel to take piano lessons, but his Yorkshireman father preferred his lad to spend his recreational time on the rugby field.

Skip forward in flashback style (complete with harp gliss and wavy fade) to the big match. It was the middle of winter, little Joel's knees were knocking as a stocky member of the other team was running at him with the ball and the crowd were shouting "tackle him Joel!" This was the moment my co-presenter realised sport wasn't for him.

He knew his future lay in a career in broadcasting. He quickly got his first job, with a lesser known outfit, called at Radio Bedroom - actually it wasn't a proper station, just his box-room with a tape recorder. He'd interview himself by recording questions, then playing them back and answering them himself.

He also loved TV Quiz shows and could often be found wearing his dad's suits, pretending to be a game show host. In fact, as he grew up he found other delights on TV, specifically those 'special' channels that he could find with the family's motorised satellite dish. The only problem was the dish was right outside his parent's bedroom, so if his dad ever heard the motor go, he knew exactly what Joel was watching.

After teen years spent earning pocket money in a local café - then losing it all again down the arcade, Joel got his first proper radio job at Yorkshire Coast Radio. He hasn't looked back since, with shows on Radio 1, BBC 2 and now the most listened to radio station on the internet!

JK
What was JK up to before he became one half of JK and Joel? Why is his name made up of only two letters? A shortened yet embellished version of JK’s life story up until now, care of Joel.