You know when a novelist writes, “You could hear the smile in her voice,” and it’s sometimes difficult to imagine? A tip: listen to BBC Radio 1 DJ Clara Amfo, and you’ll get it instantly. She is like sunshine on the wireless – a charming breeze, the patter of soft rain on a roof. She’s a delight.
Amfo, 28, who last week took over the 10am-1pm Radio 1 Live Lounge slot from Fearne Cotton, has described herself as “radio-obsessed”. She started out as a marketing intern at London station Kiss FM, going on to present its drivetime show before BBC 1Xtra came calling. In January, she became host of the Official Chart Show on Radio 1. Her first Live Lounge showcased highlights from the Big Weekend: “Hello, new friends,” she said chirpily. “Hopefully we’re gonna be BFFs by the end of this week.” She wears her musical fandoms on her sleeve – a great pop song will send her giddy, and she’ll go into rhapsodies over a live performance by Rudimental. She’s all giggles and sighs over the music, in time with the listener at the other end, making the experience feel truly interactive.
And speaking of interactive, her Twitter and Instagram accounts are full of photos of her studio: what’s coming up and what she’s into, usually alongside an enthusiastic “loooove” or two. Amfo might come in a shiny 2015 package, but at heart she’s an old-school broadcaster who sticks to core values: connect, roll with the punches of live radio, and bring it all home within the allotted time. It’s harder than it sounds but Amfo, with a smile so wide you can hear it, is up to the challenge.
