Greg James has revealed his on-air nickname is not actually his real name after being on air for 17 years.
The Radio 1 Breakfast Show presenter, 38, admitted he chose his well-known surname shortly before being discovered by the BBC in 2007.
Greg revealed that his real name is Greg Milward and explained that James is actually his middle name, which he chose as his surname while presenting student radio in the hope it would attract BBC bosses.
Speaking on Kathy Burke’s Where There’s a Will, There’s an Awakening podcast, Greg said: ‘I’m writing a book. It is my first non-fiction book for adults. It’s coming out next year and I was writing a chapter about my name.
‘It’s become a secret, but it’s not a secret at all. In that Greg James is not my full name.
Greg James has revealed his on-air nickname is not actually his real name after being on air for 17 years.
The Radio 1 Breakfast Show presenter, 38, admitted he chose his well-known surname shortly before being found by the BBC in 2007; in the photo 2018
He continued: “I was looking around, like Sara Cox, Scott Mills. So my full name, my last name is Milward. It’s like the name of a teacher. It’s like the name of a director. Greg Milward.
“My dad was a director and I was like, ‘Well, it’s probably not that great. “I don’t really like him very much. So I chose Greg James.”
However, the radio star admitted that if he could go back in time, he would have chosen something else.
He said: ‘What I regret is that I thought about it carefully, because when Radio 1 discovered me; I had basically won this award, and Radio 1 was in touch, and before I knew it, I was doing a test show for them, and Greg James appeared in the Radio Times, in the listings, and I said: “it’s too late, I can’t change it now.”
‘And then it went on and on and on, and I can’t change it back now, I can’t do anything about it. I don’t mind. It’s a good radio name, but it should have been more imaginative.
Kathy replied, ‘No, no, because Greg James, as you say, has that bang bang.’
Last month, Greg unveiled a statue honoring Britain’s most famous duck, which became an online sensation due to its abnormally large neck.
Long Boi arrived at York University in 2019 and went viral after a social media post incorrectly described him as “the tallest mallard that has ever lived… over 1m tall”, but then it was measured to only be around 70cm.
Greg revealed that his real name is Greg Milward and explained that James is actually his middle name, which he chose as his surname while presenting student radio in the hope it would attract BBC bosses.
Greg said: ‘(My name) became a secret, but it’s not a secret at all. In that Greg James is not my full name. So my last name is Milward. It’s like a professor’s name, Greg Milward. So I chose Greg James.
Over the years, Long Boi built a considerable following, including an Instagram fan account with 60,000 followers and appearances on the James Corden Late Late Show and BBC Radio 1.
But in May 2023, the university said it believed Long Boi had died after being missing for two months.
And last month, Greg unveiled a statue to commemorate Long Boi’s “life and legacy” on his BBC Radio 1 show.
During the ceremony in the university’s Central Hall, a distraught Greg, who was wearing a funeral suit including a veil, said: “When I first spoke about Long Boi on the Radio One Breakfast Show in May 2021, I had no idea that a fleeting comment about a very tall duck would lead to this now, three years later.
‘There are hundreds of people here in person to remember and celebrate. Millions of people are listening to this ceremony on the radio right now, and even more people around the world are following this story.
“So thank you to everyone who has taken the time out of your day to listen to this ridiculous event, and thank you for coming here today,” according to YorkMix.
‘Some people may not understand why we’re doing this today… but silliness is important, silliness gets us through the day and, look, silliness brings us together.
‘And our favorite animals also help us get through the day.
‘We love them because they show us the best of ourselves and when you have the opportunity to celebrate silliness and animals at the same time, you should grab it with both hands.
“So without further ado, let’s all celebrate the life of Britain’s tallest duck.”
The Indian Mallard Duck sculpture will be located near the lake at Derwent College on campus, which was one of its favorite places, the college said.
Last month, Greg unveiled a statue honoring Britain’s most famous duck, which became an online sensation due to its abnormally large neck.
It comes after Greg was left horrified after his dog Barney had an accident on the train in front of shocked commuters earlier this year.
He said a clay mold of the life-size statue was hand-carved by award-winning wildlife sculptor Neil Mason before being sent to Greece for casting in bronze.
The university’s student union raised the money to pay for the statue, saying it would ensure Long Boi “always remains present in our hearts.”
It comes after Greg was left horrified after his dog Barney had an accident on the train in front of shocked commuters.
The DJ was taking the train from London Waterloo to the vet for Barney to have knee surgery due to his problems with arthritis.
The ride went smoothly until Barney walked up to the door and started taking “the biggest piss I’ve ever seen in my life,” Greg said.
Greg claimed that peeing lasted a full two minutes, and in a desperate attempt to clean up the mess, he ran to the bathroom to get some tissues.
However, as the couple needed to get off at the next stop, they were forced to leave the urine area.
After getting off the train to Portsmouth, Greg approached the guard to apologize.
