Radcliffe, Mark 1958

Mark Radcliffe is a British radio broadcaster, musician and writer, best known for his work with the BBC.

Radcliffe was born in Bolton in 1958. He developed an interest in music at a young age, and played in several bands representing various genres over his lifetime. Radcliffe’s broadcasting career began at Manchester’s Piccadilly Radio, where he hosted a programme playing New Wave and Post-Punk music, as well as avant-garde music.

Radcliffe joined the BBC in 1983, initially at Radio 1. He moved to Radio 5 in 1990, hosting Hit the North on BBC Radio 5, where he met fellow DJ Marc Riley. The following year Radcliffe moved to BBC Radio 1. Riley soon followed, and the pair began a long-standing double act under the name ‘Mark and Lard’ in 1993.

The Mark and Lard show was unusual for Radio 1, as it played non-playlist music as well as featuring poetry readings, comedy and live performances. After stints in various timeslots, the programme became a fixture of the afternoon schedule. During this time it won three Sony Gold Awards for Best Daily Music Show. Mark and Lard broadcast for the final time on 26th March, 2004.

In June 2004, Radcliffe moved to an evening programme on Radio 2, again featuring studio guests and performances. In April 2007, he paired up with Stuart Maconie, creating a successful programme. This show moved to BBC 6 Music in April 2011.

Radcliffe has also worked in television broadcasting and is the author of several books.