Meet the new starters: pete, sophie and natalie
We’ve welcomed a few new faces to the Audio Always team over the last few weeks! From 11 year old pet rabbits to their first steps into the world of radio, we’ve asked our new starters Pete, Sophie and Natalie some questions to get to know them better.
Pete Linney has worked in radio for years, and is the latest addition to our content team at Audio Always.
What originally sparked your interest in the world of audio?
Pete: “When I was growing up the TV was basically banned all day until much later in the evening, so it was all about the radio! I remember fighting with my mum and dad over Radio 4 or Radio 1 for breakfast, long car drives listening to the early days of TalkSport with my dad and loving comedy shows like The Now Show and Just A Minute with my mum.
“As I got older, I was obsessed with Colin Murray’s late night Radio 1 show, Russell Brand on Radio 2 and the John Richardson show on 6 Music. The radio was basically always on and I always thought it sounded like the most fun being involved in it.”
Do you have any pets?
Pete: “My wife and I bought a pet rabbit the morning after a massive house party at university. Hungover and very delicate, we headed to Pets At Home where we ended up coming back with a German Orange Lop. 11 years later and she’s still here! She’s called Rosie and she’s the reason all my clothes have holes in them.”
Is there an inspirational quote that you live by?
Pete: “Was very tempted to pick something stupid from Mike Bassett England Manager, which I quote on a daily basis, but I’ll be a bit more serious! My favourite band is Frightened Rabbit, they have a song called Head Rolls Off, the chorus has the line “While I’m Alive I’ll Make Tiny Changes To Earth” and I just love that.
“You don’t need to make earth shattering changes, but the little things we do each day can make our stamp on the world. Eesh, it’s got a bit serious hasn’t it, so in that case I’ll go for “Ladies and Gentlemen, England will be playing Four Four F*****G Two!”
Sophie Tibbles also joined the Audio Always team in October from Bauer. Sophie will be producing on BBC Radio 2.
Sophie: “I grew up listening to BBC Radio in my mum’s car – there wouldn’t be a journey, or a meal made without some kind of audio, and I grew up in the era of Fearne Cotton from 10am-1pm. She made me obsessed with radio because it felt as though she professed a love for the same music I did, and opened me up to other artists.”
Is there an inspirational quote that you live by?
Sophie: “One of my old bosses gave me two to live by, ‘Work smart not hard, use your time and energy efficiently’, and also ‘It’s the little details, those little things that are the difference between making someone’s day or them forgetting you’.”
What are you listening to at the moment?
Sophie: “At the moment I’m a little obsessed with Capital Dance for the bangers, and Radio 2 for the eclectic taste and also the personalities – Jeremy Vine is a vibe.”
Natalie Rees recently joined the Partnerships team, having previously worked for the likes of XS Manchester and Bauer.
How would your 10-year-old self react to what you do now?
What is currently in your headphones?
Nat: “I discovered Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place podcast at the start of 2021, it has really helped and guided me through another rollercoaster of a year. The thoughtful, honest and eye-opening conversations about all sorts of topics make me look at myself and the world a little differently. It’s my go-to listen for the commute to the office.”
What song is guaranteed to get you on the dance floor?
Nat: “I’ll basically get up to anything by Queen, ABBA, Elton John or David Bowie! My music taste is rather eclectic, from The Smiths to the Spice Girls, so I will listen to pretty much anything!”
