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The BBC’s Wogan House on Great Portland Street is where, when I was 20, I started doing a show called ‘Loose Ends’ on BBC Radio 4. It was hosted by Ned Sherrin, who was a mentor to me. He introduced me to lots of people in show business who are still influential in my life today.
I remember walking down Great Portland Street towards the BBC studios and psyching myself up to be witty, charming and funny in the face of all these people who were so much more witty, charming and funny than I was. These were really posh people and I was from a council estate in Liverpool.
‘Loose Ends’ was my first full-time radio occupation when I moved to London. It took me from being the ‘scally in the alley’ to someone whose opinions were worth listening to.
I left ‘Loose Ends’ to make TV shows but I’ve always thought radio was my natural home. I went back to it 20 years ago when I got my first 6 Music radio show. I still do lots of my Saturday night shows from Wogan House and I still get goosebumps walking down Great Portland Street. It’s been the home of my radio career.
Craig Charles presents on BBC Radio 6 Music, weekdays, 1pm-4pm.
Read more from this series:
Singer and actor Jordan Stephens on landing a part in ‘Star Wars’
Chef Vivek Singh on finding a home for his first restaurant in Westminster