John Gillmore

From an early age, John Gillmore was interested in radio...as a boy, he tuned in to the launch of BBC Radio Merseyside - just a few miles from where he lived - on the family radiogram, as was the style of the time! Back in those days, there wasn't an obvious path into the media - but Gilly didn't let that stop him, and whilst working at his local Co-Op he began to record radio advertisements and learn about the business. A spell at Radio Whiston followed, before Gilly made his debut in the big leagues of commercial radio in the North West working at Red Rose Radio in Preston for 13 years before joining The Bay in Lancaster in 1998...he joined BBC Radio Lancashire in 2005, where he currently broadcasts six days a week - weekday afternoons between 1pm and 4pm with sidekick Nishma Hindocha, and Saturday Breakfast from 6am with Shigufta Khan. Outside broadcasts are a major part of Gilly's afternoon show - hundreds and hundreds of OBs have seen him criss-cross the county, broadcasting from all parts of Lancashire (and beyond!) and shining the spotlight on the good things happening in the county and the great people making their part of the world a little bit better. He's also interviewed some very famous names...Knights of the Realm Michael Caine and Michael Parkinson have had the Gilly treatment, along with politicians like Tony Blair and legends such as Buzz Aldrin - the second man to walk on the Moon, and who made history by taking Holy Communion on the lunar surface - along with a host of faces from the world of entertainment...basically, if they're famous, chances are Gilly has chatted to them! Gilly's passionate about Lancashire - his efforts to promote tourism in the county saw him voted the Marketing Lancashire "Tourism Superstar" for 2015...he also mounted a mammoth live radio broadcast in aid of BBC Children in Need which earned Gilly an official Guinness World Record for the most live interviews conducted in 24 hours. Away from the microphone, you'll find him enjoying a stroll - he enjoys walking, nature and wildlife - and getting involved in Lancashire life, hosting charity events and supporting fantastic causes such as Derian House children's hospice, the Defying Dementia project based at Lancaster University (of which Gilly is a patron), the Girl Guiding movement and many, many more.