A young broadcaster from Northern Ireland is set to take over a BBC Radio 1 slot for a day as part of the station’s Christmas Takeover.
Cushla Rice, who has worked in radio since the age of 16, said that the opportunity is a “dream come true” and initially thought it was a joke when she got the call.
The 26-year-old from Bangor said that she was inspired to apply for the scheme after following the career of Newtownabbey DJ Dean McCullough, who took part in a previous Christmas Takeover.
She said: “I remember seeing Northern Ireland’s very own Dean McCullough get this opportunity and he is now a full time presenter on Radio 1 hosting early breakfast.
“I’ve always felt very inspired by Dean’s journey and when I saw the Takeover applications were open, I thought I would send in a demo.
“I know they get thousands of entries so I really didn’t think I would get selected. When I got the phone call, I had to ask if it was a prank!”
But she soon realised it wasn’t – and the Q Radio presenter is now preparing to present Mollie King’s Future Pop show on December 30 from 6 to 8pm.
Cushla Rice is a presenter on Q Radio
She is among 27 up and coming presenters selected to cover a slot at BBC Radio 1 from Boxing Day until New Year’s Eve as part of the station’s Christmas Takeover.
The initiative was created by Radio 1’s Head of Station, Aled Haydn Jones, in 2019 to offer fresh voices and emerging talent the unique opportunity to broadcast.
This year’s takeover features a broad range of talent from across the UK, many of whom have started their journeys in radio while still students, like Cushla.
“One of my first jobs at 16 was street team for a local radio station and since then my goal was to start presenting,” she said.
She went on to study Creative Media Production with Broadcast Journalism at Belfast Metropolitan College, where she “cemented” her love of radio.
After studying for a degree in Radio Production in Salford, she returned to Belfast and has since worked in Radio.
“I now proudly work for Q Radio and I’ve been presenting here for nearly two years now and host weeknight evenings 7-10pm and Saturdays 10-2pm.”
Cushla Rice is among 27 up-and-coming presenters selected to cover a slot on BBC Radio 1 as part of the Christmas Takeover.
The radio presenter is excited about the opportunity and already has plans for her debut broadcast on Radio 1.
“This show is me all over, as someone who loves supporting up and coming and local artists, this show really does showcase the best new pop music from artists all over the world,” she said.
“As the December 30 is the final Future Pop show of the year, I have selected some of the best new pop music from 2024 and will be doing A ‘Future Pop Class of 2024’ — so you can expect some of the best pop music and also some new artists to add to your playlists for 2025.”
She added: “I am honestly so excited for this opportunity, It really is a dream come true. I remember listening to Radio 1 in the car on the way to school so this really is something that has always been on my bucket list.
“I can’t thank Aled Jones, the commissioning team, and my lovely producer Jack Allen for the support and opportunity of a lifetime.”