English Radio One disc jockey Annie Nightingale plays 'Sugar Sugar' by the Archies on her show on January 12, 1970. Photo: Getty Images
Annie Nightingale was the first woman to DJ on BBC’s Radio 1, and, having broken that barrier, became the station’s longest-serving presenter. After starting out as a journalist, Nightingale parlayed her music column in the Brighton Argus into a role as a television presenter, but was determined to break into Radio 1. After many attempts she was finally granted a Sunday evening show, which did not begin auspiciously: she accidentally pushed the button which took the station off air. Nightingale eventually was granted the weeknight late-night slot in which she made her name. As her fame grew, Nightingale also fronted The Old Grey Whistle Test for the BBC. She was made an MBE in 2002 and was awarded a CBE in 2019, having clocked up half a century behind the turntables on Radio 1. Nightingale died on January 11, aged 83. — Agencies
