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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Jim Waterson Media editor

Charlie Sloth leaves Radio 1 after invading stage at awards ceremony

Charlie Sloth at the Arias in Leeds
Charlie Sloth at the Arias in Leeds on Thursday night. Photograph: Danny Lawson/PA

The Radio 1 DJ Charlie Sloth has left the station after jumping on stage and swearing at a fellow presenter during an awards ceremony.

He had been due to leave his Radio 1 weekday evening show The 8th in the coming weeks but his time with the station has come to an immediate end after the incident on Thursday night.

Sloth, 37, who also presents the Saturday night rap show on Radio 1 and 1Xtra, jumped on to the stage at the Arias ceremony after he was beaten by Edith Bowman’s Soundtracking podcast in the best specialist music show category.

In front of a baffled audience in Leeds he grabbed the microphone and said: “Edith Bowman, fuck your life … I just wanna say BBC Radio 1, 1Xtra, Saturday night rap show. Fuck your life. God bless.”

Radio 1 said in a statement: “We have agreed with Charlie Sloth that he will not be presenting any further editions of The 8th and The Rap Show for Radio 1 and 1Xtra. New presenters will be announced for both shows in coming weeks.”

Sloth, who has been with the BBC for a decade, has been widely linked with a job at Apple’s music service.

After being dropped by Radio 1, Sloth said his stage invasion “was supposed to be a bit of bants”, in a nod to Kanye West invading the stage at the 2009 MTV Awards.

“I love Edith and like I said so does my mum,” he said. “I’ve apologised to Edith privately, I’m sorry to anyone I upset.”

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