Why is Nick Grimshaw leaving Radio 1 and who will replace him?

Nick Grimshaw has announced he is leaving Radio 1 after 14 years and his replacement has been revealed...

Nick Grimshaw has confirmed he is leaving his job as Radio 1 DJ after 14 years at the station.

The former X Factor judge made the shock announcement during his BBC Radio 1 Drivetime show as he told listeners that he was stepping down from his 3.30pm-6pm show.

It comes after Scott Mills covered Radio 2 (opens in new tab) for Ken Bruce but unlike Ken's holiday absence, Nick is set to leave permanently. And radio stars like Dapper Dave is rumoured to be leaving Virgin Radio. (opens in new tab)

Nick, who became Radio 1's second-youngest long-running host in the show's history, overtaking the record previously held by Tony Blackburn, has left fans wondering why as we look at the reason for him quitting his Drivetime show...

Why is Nick Grimshaw leaving Radio 1?

Nick Grimshaw is leaving BBC Radio 1 as he thinks it's "time to move on" after spending the last 14 years working at the station.

In an official statement, Nick, who is engaged to partner Meshach (opens in new tab) Henry, said that working at Radio 1 had been a “childhood dream”, and added, “I have been lucky enough to make that dream come true. It has been everything I’d imagined and even more. I grew up wanting to connect with people and to feel accepted and the Radio 1 listeners gave me that and let me be part of their daily life, for which I will be eternally grateful.”

But he admitted it felt the right time to move on.

He added, “But over the last few months I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about my future and, after 14 years, I’ve made the decision that it’s time for me to move on – I’d like to thank the listeners as without them none of this could have been possible and the Radio 1 family, who have been such a huge part of my life.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

And fans have rallied around their support for the star. One wrote, 'I started listening to radio 1 7 years ago. Just a girl in Sweden wanting to improve her English by listening to your breakfast show and you ended up being my safe haven while I battled elementary school and high school. Thank you Grimmers for helping me get through it all.'

Another put, 'Awhhhh love you Grimmy, one of the greatest broadcasters and funniest people on earth and just such a great guy with it. Thank you for all the laughs, let's go mad for the last month or so eh?'

'Truly the end of an era,' a third added. 

Who will replace Nick Grimshaw on BBC Radio 1?

Nick Grimshaw will be replaced by Vick Hope and Jordan North (opens in new tab) who will pick up his radio slot starting in September. The pair will host the Drivetime show from 3:30pm - 6pm on Monday’s to Thursday’s.

Speaking about replacing Nick, Vick Hope said, "What a madness! Drivetime!!! I love Radio 1 so, so much, having grown up tuning in religiously every single day, it means the world to be taking the reins at home-time with the phenomenal Mr North.

“Grimmy is an absolute legend of the game, thank you mate for every laugh you’ve sent rippling through the country! Taking over Drive is a task we won’t be taking lightly, but Jordan and I are ready to put our all into making your journey home that little bit brighter.”

Jordan North, who took part in last year’s series of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! said, “I am absolutely chuffed to be making the move over to Radio 1 daytime and even happier to be working alongside Vick. Grimmy is a Radio 1 legend so we definitely have big shoes to fill but will work extremely hard to make sure afternoons on Radio 1 still sound superb. I am super excited to get started and look forward to this next chapter with Vick and the rest of my Radio 1 family.”

He shared a snap of all three of them hanging out, and captioned it, 'Big shoes to fill. We love you @grimmers' followed by two red heart emojis.

What is Nick Grimshaw's net worth?

Nick Grimshaw is said to have a net worth of around £1.5 million. His BBC salary has been revealed to be between £300,000 and £399,000 for the Radio 1 Drivetime show and he also stars on Celebrity Gogglebox (opens in new tab) with his niece Liv.