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02nd Aug 2023

Radio 1 DJ ‘suspended’ after being told to ‘have respect’ in on-air spat

Steve Hopkins

‘This is so cringe’

BBC Radio 1 DJ Arielle Free has been taken off air after she appeared on fellow presenter Charlie Hedges’ show from Ibiza and questioned her music choices.

As Charlie was presenting her Dance Anthems show, Arielle, joined in, sounding a little worse for wear, from the Ibiza Rocks Hotel.

“I sound great don’t I,” the 36-year-old joked, much to Charlie’s amusement.

Charlie, 37, quipped: ‘You’ve sounded better, but it’s ok.’

Arielle, 36, replied: ‘Well, this is what happens. You play on Friday night and you play on Saturday day and then your voice just goes.”

Things then soured, when Arielle comments on Charlie’s playlist.

“Can I be honest with you Charlie?… I expected better of you…”

“What? To sound like you?,” Charlie asked, before Arielle hit a sour note with her colleague: “I don’t like this song.”

Horsegiirl’s My Barn, My Rules was playing.

Arielle apologised but said she “hates” the tune.

Charlie seemed to have had enough of her guest at that point, saying: “Sorry, I’m taking your mic down, it’s my show, Arielle. Have some respect, please.

“See you later. Get out of here.”

Metro reported that the on-air tension led to Arielle being temporarily suspended, but suggested she will be back on air next week.

A BBC spokesperson said: “Whilst we would not comment on individual matters, we have strict codes of behaviour for staff and presenters, and any breaches are taken extremely seriously.”

Listeners called the exchange “so cringe”.

One wrote on social media: “This is so cringe from Arielle, at the end of the day it’s a huge privilege being a R1 DJ why would you embarrass yourself and the station like that.”

Arielle joined BBC Radio 1 in 2019.

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