Annie Mac: why is the Irish DJ leaving Radio 1 show Future Sounds - and who is her replacement Clara Amfo?

Annie Mac is leaving BBC Radio 1 after 17 years at the station.

The radio DJ joined the music station as an assistant producer before hosting her first show in 2004.

In a statement, the 42-year-old explained that it's 'hard to articulate what this job has meant to me'.

Why is Annie Mac leaving Radio 1?

In a statement, Annie Mac said now felt like the right time to go and she wanted to leave the part with a “huge smile on her face”.

Announcing the news on the Greg James Breakfast Show the Irish DJ said she didn’t want her leaving to "be a sad thing", adding: “I want it to be a celebration and for it to feel good…”

She added that she was looking forward to spending evening with her children now they are both in school.

The presenter added that she hopes to use her time to write more fiction and to create podcasts.

She said that she will return to radio broadcasting when the time is right.

In the statement, posted on her social media account, Mac said Radio 1 “has been the thread that has run through nearly my whole adult life.

“I have grown up, fallen in and out of love, moved homes, climbed up the career ladder, got married and become a mother twice over. I have done this alongside you, my listeners, who have done your own versions of the same.

“I will be forever grateful to you all for welcoming me into your days. I have never not walked out of the studio feeling lighter and happier than when I walked in and that is all down to you.”

“Working at Radio 1 has been like being at the best party ever and it is a wonderful feeling to be leaving with a huge smile on my face. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

Head of the station Aled Haydn Jones said: “Annie Mac is quite simply a legend, and has been a hugely important part of the station for the past 17 years.”

Who is replacing Annie Mac?

BBC Radio 1 announced that Clara Amfo will take over from Mac as host of Future Sounds.

The presenter will take over the reigns of the show in September 2021.

Who is Clara Amfo?

Amfo has been at the helm of Radio 1’s The Live Lounge, hosting the weekday mid-morning show on the station. She also appeared as a contestant in last year’s Strictly Come Dancing, dancing with Aljaž Škorjanec.

Speaking about Amfo, station head Jones said she had “long been one of the most influential voices in the music industry.”

Amfo said is “beyond honoured and ready to start this exciting new chapter”, adding that “to be receiving the baton from Annie who I love and respect makes it extra special for me”.

The 36-year-old started out her career as a marketing intern at Kiss FM, and went on to host a number of British film premieres at the Hammersmith Apollo. In 2021 she was nominated for the Rising Star award at the Sony Radio Awards.

The presenter joined BBC Radio 1Xtra in 2013 as the host of the weekend breakfast show, and got her first job on Radio 1 in 2015 to host The Official Chart.

In February 2015 it was announced that Amfo would be taking over from Fearne Cotton as the host of the mid-morning show.

Amfo received praise for her speech on the show in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd in 2020. The presenter reflected on his death, racism and her own mental health.