Students interview music icon Miley Cyrus alongside BBC Radio 1's Greg James

Incredible opportunity for LJMU students

Six LJMU students got the experience of a lifetime this month, when they interviewed music legend Miley Cyrus, for the BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show, alongside host Greg James. 

Rosie Robinson, Darcy Davis, Phoebe Ross and Tom Pratten who are all Journalism students, alongside Josh Weston (History) and Jack Bostock (Building Surveying) are members of JMSU’s Moores Student Radio Society and were invited to the Radio 1 broadcasting truck ahead of the Radio 1 Big Weekend in Sefton Park. 

The students got to meet Radio 1 host and former student radio presenter Greg James, and were given a tour around the broadcasting equipment. 

Surprise interview with Miley Cyrus

Unbeknown to the students, BBC Radio 1 had set up an interview with Miley Cyrus, ahead of her releasing her new music this month, and only when Greg James started talking to her live on the screen did they realise that she wasn’t a prerecorded video. 

Moores Student Radio Society Station Manager, Jack Bostock, said:  

“Finding ourselves interviewing Miley Cyrus was a huge surprise. We had absolutely no idea.

“It was really exciting and I think a few of us let our inner child out when we found ourselves talking to Hannah Montana.” 

All of the students are members of Moores Student Radio Society with Rosie, Darcy, Phoebe and Tom studying journalism at LJMU. 

The journalism students among us really homed into their questioning styles when speaking to Miley. For those of us who do not study journalism, it was really impressive to watch. 

“We've been broadcasting on Moore Student Radio for a year now, so I think it really gave us the confidence to speak on air. Broadcasting is a skill, and just like any other skill, the more you do it, the better you become.” 

Jack Bostock, LJMU student and Moores Student Radio Station Manager

And Miley had some advice for our own students, as they get ready to embark on the next stages of their lives: 

"Never stop learning, as if you are kid....and never be afraid to start something new."

And the students thoughts on getting to meet Radio 1 host Greg James in person? 

“Greg was really down to earth and just spoke to us as though we were his mates. 

“I think it's slightly different for us, as his career started from student radio. He won one of the Student Radio Association awards during his time at University of East Anglia Student Radio. The prize was a one off, hour slot on BBC Radio 1 - since then, he has never left!” 

The students also gifted Greg James an LJMU branded bucket hat, making him an official honorary member of Team LJMU. You can watch the video on LJMU’s instagram channel.

You can listen to the full interview with Miley Cyrus featuring our LJMU students from 8.30am on Friday 30 May on the Greg James BBC 1 Breakfast Show.

Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Liverpool

Interviewing pop icons wasn’t the end of the opportunities for our LJMU students. 

Radio 1 gave the society guest passes to the Big Weekend in Sefton Park, where they were able to cover the event for their station and social channels.
On the Big Weekend line up was Liverpudlian band, The Wombats, who the radio station had also interviewed in the week running up to the festival. 

Find out more

You can find out more about Moores Student Radio Society or view the range of JMSU societies open to all LJMU students. 

You can find out more about studying journalism or media courses at LJMU.