Former Argyll FM host Grace goes radio ga-ga
‘Being paid to do something that I love is a dream come true’
RUNNING from the telephone to the Argyll FM studio on Longrow with scraps of paper littered with song requests, a 12-year-old Campbeltown lass knew she had caught the broadcasting bug.
Fast forward 12 years and Grace Wylie is a rising star of the Scottish airwaves, broadcasting to tens of thousands of listeners each day.
Now presenting the breakfast show on Moray Firth Radio (MFR) alongside co-host Ginno Conti on weekday mornings, she also occupies her own solo slot on Sunday afternoons.
Sounding bright and bubbly at 5am brings its own challenges but the 24-year-old is unfazed by early starts.
Grace said: ‘I love working in radio. It might sound like a cliché but being paid to do something I love is a dream come true.
‘The MFR team has welcomed me with open arms and I feel like one of the family, which means a lot.’
Experiences
Working for the Highland station is the latest broadcasting milestone for the former Castlehill and Campbeltown Grammar school pupil, who built on her formative experiences as a runner with Argyll FM by gaining her own programme there.
In 2010, Grace started studying broadcast production at the University of the West of Scotland. Soon she was gaining industry experience by reading traffic and travel reports on West FM and Clyde One.
Reflecting on her studies, Grace said: ‘I really needed that period to learn, practise and progress. I wouldn’t have been ready to do what I’m doing now if I had not studied at UWS.’
Further opportunities followed which led to Grace landing the breakfast show on west of Scotland-based commercial station, Your Radio, in 2015.
There has been plenty of fun along the way, including hosting a hen party live on air, but she says the radio business is not as glamorous as it may appear.
Uprooting
Early mornings mean sleep is often at a premium, while accepting her job at MFR meant uprooting from the central belt where she and husband Fraser had been settled.
Grace added: ‘There’s no denying that working in radio involves a lot of hard work. We don’t just turn up and talk about the first thing that comes to mind. There’s a lot of planning and interviewing to make sure each programme hits home with listeners.
‘That said, it’s a really rewarding experience. I get to work with amazing people and connect with members of the public on a daily basis. It’s what keeps bringing me back each day.’
Paul Tucker, senior lecturer at UWS, said: ‘From the day she started at UWS, it was obvious that Grace had the attitude required to succeed. During her studies, it was great to see that talent develop. We’re all really pleased she’s doing so well.’