Jo Whiley - ‘My kids only think I’m cool when I get them into VIP toilets at Glasto’
When 17-year-old Jo Whiley set off for somewhere called Glastonbury after a raucous sixth form party, she had no idea the festival would come to define her next four decades. In the early 80s, Jo was studying for her A-levels and had plans to train as a speech therapist. What actually happened was rather different — and much more glamorous, in a muddy sort of way.
She’s helmed shows on Radio 1 and Radio 2, presented Top Of The Pops and is such a firm part of British pop culture that her voice even featured in the film Love Actually. But hosting the TV coverage of Glastonbury is the gig that makes her heart soar.View gallery “I’m just really fond of it,” smiles Jo. “I’ve got so many lovely memories. I went in the sixth form. A bunch of my friends were at a party and they said, ‘We’re going to this thing, it’s in Glastonbury, it’s a festival apparently.
She laughs, “I come in handy occasionally if I can get them use of a toilet in a special area. Then I’m cool. But I don’t get to see them for the whole festival. They just go and do their thing and I see them when I get back home. They’ve all grown up.” One iconic moment that stands out is talking with Adele in 2016, when the superstar was overwhelmed with nerves ahead of her performance. For Jo, it was an honour to be her cheerleader. “It was a really big deal for Adele playing Glastonbury,” she says. “I spoke to her just before she went on stage. She got quite overwhelmed. It’s a real privilege speaking to somebody who is in that state and I just wanted to make her feel very comfortable.
Jo was lucky to interview Dolly immediately after her gig and was astonished by the kindness and professionalism of the superstar. “Dolly was special,” says Jo. “All she cared about was whether I got my photograph with her and whether the angle was right and we looked good. She cared so much about other people.”
Holding it all together on live TV is a lot of pressure, too, but Jo loves being at the centre of it all and vows to continue broadcasting from Glastonbury on behalf of the BBC for as long as possible. “I love every single second, it’s a real privilege and I’ve got the stamina. I’ll keep going for as long as they’ll have me,” she says.
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