Paul, Josh and Bernard have made Box Office Radio complusive listening – Tony Flood reveals the success of the UK’s fastest-growing station
Box Office Radio has become one of my new pleasures and I recommend it to those who have yet to discover what is the UK’s fastest-growing radio station, dedicated to music from the stage and screen.
It has a team of excellent presenters, including seasoned professionals like Bernard Bale, while Paul Scott and Josh Haywood play key roles in the organisation.
I came across Box Office Radio only this year after meeting Paul Scott who is their Director of Programming, as well as being one of their team of over 40 presenters. Paul lives in Eastbourne and, like me, reviews shows staged by the region’s many theatres.
Paul offered to put me in touch with another presenter who would interview me and by one of life’s quirks of fate – and to my delight – this presenter turned out to be showbiz expert Bernard Bale, who I worked with many years ago. Being interviewed by Bernard turned into an enjoyable chat in which he expertly prised out of me some of the amusing anecdotes and secrets about showbiz and sports stars, in addition to Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe and Kylie Minogue, that feature in my celebrity book My Life With The Stars at the Grove Theatre.
Bernard has been an award-winning journalist in Fleet Street with the Daily Express, Mirror, Sunday Times and Daily Mail. He also played drums with several bands in the Swinging Sixties, became a compere at many venues including the Royal Albert Hall, and has worked as a BBC broadcaster.
The multi-talented Mr Bale was one of my writers when I was editor of Football Monthly magazine and, he in turn, wrote about me after he became Managing Editor of Encore! magazine which champions live entertainment. So it was no surprise that when Box Office Radio was launched by Josh Haywood as an on-line station, in October 2020, they made Bernard a showbiz presenter.
Box Office Radio can claim to be the UK’s only stage and screen station, playing the biggest variety of music from musicals and movies, 24 hours every day! The digital station can be heard online, via the channel’s app (available on the App Store and Google Play Store) and is also available via smart speaker. I found the easiest link was boxofficeradio.co.uk.
Founder Josh Haywood, who presents ‘Disney Delights’ on Fridays at 6 pm, says: “Box Office Radio is about two key factors – the music and the people. As well as appealing to fans of stage and screen, we are working with industry groups and connecting with the passionate people who make up the UK’s 2,000-plus amateur theatre groups and operatic societies. Our goal is to be the number one choice for this genre and be loved by theatre professionals and musical fans alike.”
Josh has helped set up numerous stations and worked for some of the biggest networks in the industry, including the GMG, Chrysalis and the BBC.
Like Bernard, Paul Scott has also worked for the BBC in a radio career that took off in the early 1990s, with a show of his own creation called Theatreland. He says: “Before my stint with the BBC, I had worked for seven years in the West End and I used that experience, and knowledge, to become a theatre critic – but not one who uses big words and hates everything!
“I am a champion for the world of amateur theatre and love nothing more than sitting down to watch one of my local companies put on a show.”
Paul, who presents ‘The Afternoon Show’ on Box Office Radio on Wednesdays from 3 pm to 6 pm, reveals that he adores musicals, especially A Chorus Line, Starlight Express, Joseph and La Cage Aux Folles.
Bernard presents music and interviews in his show ‘Encore’ on Tuesday evenings from 8 pm. He declares: “Box Office Radio is very special because it is so alive – no dull moments. The life-blood is the music which is varied and can have you in tears or singing at the top of your voice. There are so many fabulous musicals – my favourites are Camelot, Pickwick and Beauty and The Beast.
“I have been a BBC broadcaster on radio, and TV, but I don’t think I’ve had as much fun as I have on boxofficeradio.co.uk. The team of presenters and the amazing numbers of listeners are brought together as one happy family by the magnetic appeal of such great music.”
I look forward to meeting up with Bernard when he will be speaking at a lunch at the Langham Hotel, Eastbourne, on Tuesday, October 14th. He will be providing anecdotes about great names from the world of entertainment from Fred Astaire to Les Dawson and Judy Garland to Cilla Black.
Meanwhile, I will carry on enjoying being among the 250,000 monthly listeners tuning into Bernard and his pals on Box Office Radio.
