He started his career as a presenter while still at school in West Yorkshire. He made broadcasts to the Wakefield's Broadcasts to Hospitals Service (WBHS), as a volunteer.
His first paid job after leaving school was as an assistant to the DJ on a local radio station, Aire FM. At the same time he was doing some presenting work on Radio Top Shop in Leeds. Later he had his own Saturday night radio show on Aire FM.

In the early 1990s he went to work for Radio Luxembourg until it closed in 1992. After that he presented from various local radio stations, becoming better known after he got a job at a London radio station in 1996.

In 1997 he started working for Radio 1 and became famous in the UK. His career has always been controversial, as he has often been in trouble for making offensive remarks and has sometimes fallen out with bosses and colleagues. Lately it has been suggested that he may move away from breakfast presenting and take over the late night music slot that was once held by the late John Peel.