Emily Pilbeam presents the BBC Introducing Mixtape on BBC Radio 6 Music and co-hosts BBC Introducing in Leeds and Sheffield. With over a decade of experience across both production and presentation within BBC Introducing, alongside her wider work in the music industry, Emily has established herself as a trusted tastemaker within the UK’s new music landscape.
Alongside her own programmes, Emily is a regular voice on 6 Music, covering shows for the likes of Steve Lamacq, Huw Stephens and Chris Hawkins, as well as stepping in for Craig Charles and Lauren Laverne. Her warm, knowledgeable style and deep connection to emerging music make her a natural fit across the network.
Away from the microphone, Emily works as an A&R for a London-based independent label and promoter known for championing underground and disruptive talent. She also supports the next generation of artists through her work with Launchpad, offering guidance and industry insight to those at the very start of their careers.
Katie-Louise Buxton (Katie-Lou) is a radio presenter, host, and music journalist with a naturally warm, friendly on-air style and a genuine love of connecting with people through music.
Currently heard on Shock Radio and Radio Alty, Katie-Louise brings thoughtfulness, curiosity, and calm confidence to every show she presents. Her journey into radio began through music and performance, having previously worked as a musician and actor. One of her most memorable moments was performing in a choir on stage with Sir Paul McCartney — an experience that sparked her passion for storytelling and the power of live sound.
Known for her calm, passionate, and approachable nature, Katie-Louise loves getting to the heart of the stories behind the songs and creating a space where listeners feel welcomed and heard. Her sincere and people-first approach has been recognised with industry awards, including Demo Factor Winner 2025 and Best Chart Programming at the 2025 Student Radio Awards.
At the core of everything she does is a strong belief in creativity, community, and the ability of radio to bring people together — one conversation at a time.
Away from the studio, Katie-Louise is most likely at a gig, watching films, or out exploring the outdoors. She’s happiest surrounded by great music, great stories, and the people who share her enthusiasm for both.
Emma-Louise currently presents Newsround on CBBC for the BBC. This iconic live TV show is the home of news for children who watch both from home and in schools across the United Kingdom. Emma-Louise presents live in CBBC’s Salford Studio, and also travels around the UK reporting on the stories that are most important to children and young people. Emma-Louise has found a natural home on the BBC, hosting multiple series for BBC Bitesize and BBC Teach, as well as regular factual reporting on science content, especially focusing on the environment and climate change, including presenting long form content for WWF, The Eden Project and the National Oceanography Centre.
Outside of television, Emma-Louise hosted her own show on BBC Sounds & Radio 1 Relax, ‘Relax in Love’, which broadcasted three times and regularly on Radio 1. She has also covered BBC Radio 1 Early Breakfast.
Alongside this, Emma-Louise fronts weekends and school holidays on Fun Kids Radio, which is the UK’s only radio station dedicated to providing music, news and content to children and young people.
Lauren Redfern is a vibrant and engaging radio presenter, best known for her work on BBC Radio 1 Anthems. With her infectious energy and natural warmth, she’s fast becoming one of the most exciting new voices in UK radio.
She’s brought her love of nostalgia and feel-good music to shows including Radio 1’s 100 Greatest Anthems and Radio 1 Anthems Discovery, and helped launch the station live on air alongside Greg James and Charlie Hedges on Radio 1 Breakfast. Lauren has since hosted Friday Early Breakfast, weekend shows, and Radio 1’s Big Weekend coverage.
Lauren began her radio journey in 2022 at Black Country Radio, before studying Media Production at Birmingham City University. In 2024 she joined the university’s Scratch Radio, producing and presenting The Noughties Throwback Hour. Later that year, her standout talent was recognised when she won Demo Factor 2024, catapulting her from student radio to national BBC presenting.
Before broadcasting, Lauren worked as a performer and entertainer for Disneyland Paris and Butlins, experience that shines through in her confident, audience-focused style. Alongside her work with the BBC, she also hosts live events, red carpets, and club nights across Birmingham and the Midlands.
A proud Black Country native, Lauren brings humour, heart and high energy both on and off air. Whether she’s behind the mic, on stage, or on the dancefloor, she’s always connecting with audiences — and always having a great time.
Mim Shaikh is a broadcaster, actor, and documentary storyteller whose work bridges culture, identity, and creativity across radio, television, and film.
Raised in South London by his grandmother after early family challenges, Mim found his voice through storytelling and community. He studied at Rutlish High School and Coombe Sixth Form before moving to Leeds for university, where he discovered his passion for broadcasting at Leeds Student Radio. His early shows earned him Student Radio Awards for Best Specialist Music Programming and Best Interview.
Mim’s talent soon caught the attention of the BBC. After interning at BBC Radio 1’s Newsbeat and joining the BBC’s Hackney Academy, he went on to present for BBC Asian Network and BBC Radio 1Xtra, becoming the first South Asian daytime presenter on 1Xtra. He has also guest-hosted shows for major figures including Trevor Nelson.
Alongside his radio work, Mim has built an impressive acting career. He made his screen debut in Riz Ahmed’s short film Daytimer (2014) and appeared in the BAFTA-winning short Sunni // Shia (2016). His screen credits include Freehold (SXSW selection, 2018), Informer (BBC), King Gary, Casualty, Doctors, and the romantic comedy What’s Love Got to Do With It? (2023). In 2024, he featured in Channel 4’s acclaimed drama Queenie.
As a documentarian, Mim wrote, produced, and presented BBC Three’s Finding Dad (2018), which followed his deeply personal journey to reconnect with his estranged father in Pakistan. The film was nominated for Best Factual Programming at the Asian Media Awards and cemented his reputation as an authentic and emotionally intelligent storyteller. He later appeared in BBC Two’s Pilgrimage: The Road to Istanbul (2022), where he spoke openly about his liberal Muslim faith, and in Celebrity MasterChef (2019).
Mim continues to amplify under-represented voices through his podcast Aik Cup Chai: Crossing Cultures, produced with Independent Urdu, and as an ambassador for ScreenSkills, where he mentors emerging talent in the creative industries. His work earned him the Greater London Authority Identity Storyteller Award in 2024.
Calum presents Times Radio Breakfast on Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings alongside Chloe Tilley. He moved to Breakfast in 2022, having joined Times Radio from its launch in 2020 to produce and present the Early Breakfast programme. Friday-Sunday’s Breakfast programme is the most-listened to programme on the station (RAJAR, Q3 2024). The four-hour agenda setting programme has built up a strong reputation for providing well-informed, thoughtful and intelligent news and discussion, covering the key stories of the day. As part of his work with Times Radio, he anchored coverage of the death of Queen Elizabeth the Second from Scotland, was part of the station’s General Election 2024 results programme, providing analysis on the results as they came in and hosted US Election Night 2024.
Calum also hosts the Holyrood Sources and Whitehall Sources podcasts, taking you inside politics at the Scottish Parliament and at Westminster. January 2025 was one of the biggest months yet for the Holyrood Sources podcast – over 1 million people saw, heard and engaged with our podcast content. Well over 2.6 million encountered the resulting news coverage.
A week after graduating with a degree in politics from the University of Edinburgh in 2015, Calum worked for the BBC, as a researcher on Victoria Derbyshire’s new TV programme. He then moved to BBC Radio 5 Live where he produced programmes across the schedule. He also read the news, before presenting for the first time, aged 23, covering BBC Radio 5 Live’s Up All Night programme. In September 2019, he was brought in to present a new commission for BBC Radio Scotland: Debate Night Extra, a weekly political phone-in programme.
He’s hosted live events with the podcast and for corporate clients – the Times Food and Drink Summit, the Highlands and Islands Food and Drink Awards, the Newsworks Awards including Q&A sessions, interviews, plus MCing responsibilities as well.
Chelsey Ward is a Radio Presenter and a host.
Currently, Chelsey co-presents the daily drive time show on BBC Local Radio across the Yorkshire region.
She’s featured on BBC Radio 1, as part of the Christmas take over and since then, was invited back to present Early Fridays.
Her passion for radio began in her living room, where she would create fake radio shows for her mum to listen to. Her strong-willed nature has led her to seek opportunities and create a career in broadcasting.
As soon as she could get herself behind a mic, she began presenting on her local hospital radio station in Worksop (up north) at the age of just 16. Chelsey is known for her high energy and humour. She thrives when building a connection with the audience as she understands the power of radio.
Happiest with mic in hand, she strives to leave her audience with a lasting smile. Chelsey has been annually invited to host events for large industry bodies. As a young woman with a working-class background, she is aware of how important representation is in big spaces.
Chelsey is never afraid to stand out and be different, and usually you’ll hear her before you see her.
Outside the studio, she’s probably struggling to pitch up a tent whilst camping or dancing at a festival. Chelsey has a love for adventure and apparently will try anything at least once.
Chris Howard is a radio and digital presenter based in Newcastle Upon Tyne.
Most recently Chris presented Friday Early Breakfast on BBC Radio 1 during February 2024 plus a run of Radio 1 Anthems over the Christmas 2023.
Chris was selected Winner of Demo Factor 2023 impressing a panel of judges (including heads of both Radio 1 and Absolute Radio plus presenters from Heart and Times Radio) at the National Student Radio Association Conference (SRACon).
While studying at Sunderland University Chris joined Spark, the community radio station presenting a variety of output from Sport coverage to specialist music shows. While Chris was the host of the Breakfast Show he helped Spark pick up Best Station at the 2022 Student Radio Awards, the first time in the stations history.
Conor is a regular presenter on BBC Radio 1, and has spent the last 18 months covering Radio 1 weekend breakfast, Early Breakfast and taking the reins of the Mid-morning show over Christmas.
His radio journey started on community radio back in 2017 where all he wanted to do was play the music he loved and talk about popstars being ridiculous.
This led on to him joining FunKids where he brings his brand of fun and joy to kids (and adults) across the UK since 2019, working his way from a weekend slot to now, hosting weekday evenings.
In 2018 Conor began presenting mid-mornings on Radio Essex – where his tongue in cheek demeanour, love for music and popstar nonsense brought him a dedicated and growing band of listeners.
The pandemic saw Conor launch a comedy fact podcast called Baffled – which has charted in the in the UK Top 20 & US Top 40 – this has saw the likes of Paul Chowdry and Yvette Fielding drop by for a chat.
Conor feels equally at home in the studio as he does being out and about covering festivals such as Creamfields, CBBC’s Summer Social and the Brit Awards – where he gets to interview celebrities and musicians.
Hailing from Hornchurch, Conor is a typical Essex lad, and outside radio enjoys, Gigs, fashion and a trip to his local for a pint.
Rob Howard is an multi award winning presenter, who can currently be heard on the Heart Network weekend breakfast show. He has worked for many radio stations including 10 years at Capital where he presented almost every show including breakfast!
Rob has hosted many events including the National Student Radio Awards at London O2 Indigo and worked many red carpets including the Mobo’s and the Brits. He has also interviewed countless stars including Stormzy, Ed Sheeran and his interview with Steve Carell went viral gaining over 6 million views. Rob can also DJ and has opened for Olly Murs and JLS on their UK stadium tours.
Rob also has a large following on tiktok with over 335,000 followers, amassing over 52 million total views and 9 million total likes.
Outside of work Rob is a Dad as well as a Tottenham Hotspur season ticket holder