Stephen Merchant Biography

Stephen is on air every Saturday 13.00-15.00

What were you up to before Xfm?
“My first job was with Xfm when it originally launched. The job was ‘Assistant to the Head of Speech’. And the ‘Head of Speech’ was Ricky Gervais. He was meant to supervise all the speech output on the station, which was ridiculous. Have you heard him speak? Anyway, I quit after about a week but I started writing with Ricky and recently we made a TV sitcom called 'The Office’.”

What was the first record you bought?
“For many years I never bought a record. I just taped the UK Top 40 on Radio One. Even when I started running a mobile disco aged 16, I never bought a record. I remember DJ-ing at a wedding and not fading out ‘Careless Whisper’ quick enough, so that Bruno Brookes started babbling away during the bride and groom’s slow dance. Eventually I discovered a second-hand record shop, so if I heard something I liked I would wait six months until somone brought it in. I think the first thing I bought was a 'cassingle' of ‘Ebeneezer Goode’.”

What was the first gig you went to?
“Reading Festival. It was the year that New Order played, then split up. I’ve since become a huge New Order fan, but at that time all I knew was 'World In Motion'. I spent the whole gig hoping John Barnes would come on and do his rap. I was at a party years later and John Barnes was there, and I got drunk and stood behind him muttering "They’ll always hit you and hurt you, defend and attack, there’s only one way to beat them, get round the back." He didn’t hear me.”

What advice would you give to someone who wants to do what you do?
“Gain lots of work-experience. Build up a good CV. Be dynamic and pro-active. Believe in yourself. Trust your instincts. Or do what I did and ride the coat tails of a minor celebrity.”