Axed BBC Radio 1 presenter Dean McCullough cries on air during final show: ‘My heart hurts’

Radio 1 presenter Dean McCullough tearfully told listeners “my heart hurts today” as he hosted his final show after being let go amid a major shake-up at the station. The Northern Irish host is one of six beloved presenters exiting Radio 1 in September, to be replaced by five new presenters including social media stars and broadcasters. Reflecting on his time at the BBC earlier in the week, McCullough, who started out at the LGBTQ+ station Gaydio, admitted that he’d struggled with the BBC’s strict impartiality guidelines “as an out and proud gay man” during his six years at the public broadcaster.

It’s not been easy and I’ve had to do a lot of my advocacy in the shadows,” he wrote on Instagram. The BBC declined to comment when approached by The Independent. McCullough, 34, hosted his final early breakfast show on Thursday (3 September), telling listeners up top that he was feeling “loads of emotions today” but that it was ”going to take a lot to make me cry”.

But the tears started falling during McCullough’s penultimate link, while paying tribute to the people he’d crossed paths with at Radio 1. Gathering himself, McCullough continued: “We didn’t just make radio together – you made me better… I hope our paths continue to cross, I hope you get everything that you’ve dreamed of, and the rest is still unwritten,” before fading into Natasha Bedingfield’s 2004 track. In his final link, McCullough, who appeared on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2024, continued to cry as he spoke of giving his all to the show “to the detriment of my mental health, at times”.

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While the BBC is yet to reveal the reason behind the schedule changes, other radio stations are facing staff overhauls as part of job losses across BBC News, TV and radio amid major cost-saving measures at the broadcaster. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies