Bruno Brookes: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|British DJ and radio presenter}}

'''Bruno Brookes''' (born Trevor Neal Brookes in [[Stoke-on-Trent]], [[25th April]], [[1959]]) is a British radio presenter who shot to fame in the [[1980s]].

{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Bruno Brookes

| image =

| caption =

| image_size =

| birth_name = Trevor Neil Brookes

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1959|4|24}}

| birth_place = [[Stoke-on-Trent]], [[Staffordshire]], England

| nationality = British

| education = [[Seabridge]] Secondary School, [[Newcastle-under-Lyme]]

| occupation = [[Disc jockey]]

| known_for = [[BBC Radio 1]]'s [[The Official Chart|UK Top 40]]<br>(1986–1990, 1992-95)<br>Immedia chief executive<br>(2000–2020)

| years_active = 1984-Present

| spouse = {{marriage|Debbie Brooker<br />|1994|2002|end=divorced}}

}}

'''Trevor Neil "Bruno" Brookes''' (born 1959 in [[Stoke-on-Trent]], Staffordshire)<ref name=stoke>{{cite news|url=https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/14-most-famous-people-stoke-3711176|title=14 of the most famous people from Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire|work=Stoke Sentinel|date=12 January 2020|last=Elliott|first=Louise}}</ref> is an English former radio presenter who became prominent on British radio in the 1980s. He was CEO of in-store radio company Immedia from 2000 to 2020.

Brookes got into [[DJ]]-ing through [[youth club]] discos in his home town before he sent a successful tape to his local station, [[BBC]] Radio [[Stoke|Stoke-on-Trent]]. He spent three years there before being recruited by [[BBC Radio 1]], the national pop network, where he worked as a stand-in presenter before taking over the teatime show from [[Peter Powell]].

==Early life and career==

This programme proved popular with younger listeners, as Brookes immediately began a career-long association with the UK [[Top 40]] singles chart. In the mid-1980s, the chart was still announced on Tuesday lunchtimes by [[Gary Davies]] but kids unable to get to a radio while at school got the chance to hear a re-run of the new countdown with Brookes in the early evening. In [[1986]], Brookes took over the Sunday afternoon Top 40 show, which at the time was still counting down a chart which had been announced five days earlier and had been used for Top of the Pops the previous Thursday evening. From 4th October 1987 onwards, the Top 40 was revealed for the first time by Brookes in its now traditional Sunday afternoon slot, as new technology meant the chart took just hours instead of days to compile. Brookes briefly lost the chart to [[Mark Goodier]] in [[1990]], but then regained it in [[1992]], though there was never an element of tension or competition between the two DJs, and both were equally proficient at the programme.

Brookes attended Bradwell and [[Seabridge]] secondary schools in [[Newcastle-under-Lyme]].<ref name=stoke/> He became a disc jockey through [[youth club]] discos in his home town before he sent a successful audition tape created for him by George Wood (Judder) to his local station, [[BBC Radio Stoke]]. He spent three years there.{{cn|date=February 2025}}

In [[1989]], Brookes moved to the weekend breakfast show, co-hosting with [[Liz Kershaw]], and also regularly deputised for [[Simon Mayo]] on the weekday breakfast show. Three years later he moved to the early breakfast slot, where he remained until he was sacked in [[1995]] as controller [[Matthew Bannister]] continued his cull of elder presenters. Brookes was referred to by Trevor Dann, Bannister's head of music as 'bestriding the earth like a behemoth, the biggest dinosaur of them all', despite the fact that he was only thirty-six years old (other culled DJs had been in their forties or fifties).

==Radio One==

During his Radio 1 heyday, Brookes was on the ''Top Of The Pops'' host roster and also presented ''Beat The Teacher'' on BBC television, a popular [[teenager]]s' quiz where pupils would take on teachers in a [[general knowledge]] game based on [[noughts and crosses]]. He was the last of three presenters this show had, following [[Howard Stableford]] and ex-[[Manfred Mann]] singer [[Paul Jones]]. He also hosted the dating show ''Love At First Sight'' on [[Sky TV|Sky]].

He was recruited by [[BBC Radio 1]], the national pop network, where he worked as a stand-in presenter before taking over the teatime show from [[Peter Powell (disc jockey)|Peter Powell]] in September 1984.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/fc914595a45e41999960e84198884eed|title = BBC Genome Project|accessdate = 2 March 2018|work = Bruno Brookes| date=10 September 1984 }}</ref>

In addition to this show, Brookes presented a rundown of the UK [[The Radio 1 Chart Show|Top 40]] singles chart on Sunday evenings between March 1986 and September 1990, and again between March 1992 and April 1995.

After Radio 1, Brookes worked for numerous radio stations, presenting a networked show called ''Bruno At The Millhouse'', while hosting a daily mid-morning slot for [[Leeds]] station [[Radio Aire]]. He was also involved in a public spat with ex-Radio 1 colleague [[Bob Harris (radio)|Bob Harris]], whom Brookes had lent money for a flat. When Harris lost his job and couldn't pay it back, Brookes laid an unsuccessful claim to his extensive and valuable record collection.

In April 1989, Brookes moved to the weekend breakfast show, co-hosting with [[Liz Kershaw]], taking over from [[Mark Goodier]]<ref>{{Cite web

In recent years, Brookes has kept a low public profile but has made a fortune with his company Storm, which was the UK's first 24 hour [[internet]] radio station.

|url= https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=U4VDAAAAIBAJ&sjid=26YMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2658,288538

|title=Radio 1 is right on song

|work=Glasgow Evening Times

|accessdate=31 January 2011

|date=2 March 1989

}}</ref> and also regularly deputised for [[Simon Mayo]] on the weekday breakfast show. Three years later, he moved to the weekday early breakfast slot, where he remained until he was dismissed in 1995 by [[Trevor Dann]].<ref>Garfield, Simon. ''[https://www.simongarfield.com/books/the-nations-favourite/ The Nation's Favourite]'' (1998)</ref>{{page needed|date=February 2025}}

Brookes, along with another former chart show presenter [[Mark Goodier]], returned to the station for a one-off Top 40 countdown show on Sunday 30 September 2007, providing new pre-recorded inserts into the show, which was hosted by the then-current (but outgoing) presenters [[JK and Joel]]. This special show formed part of the station's celebrations of the 40th birthday of BBC Radio 1.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007zxf9|title = BBC Radio 1 schedule|accessdate = 2 March 2018|work = Chart Show}}</ref>

Brookes was involved for many years with TV presenter [[Anthea Turner]] but in a twist of irony, she left him for Peter Powell, the man whose gig had been taken by Brookes when he got his break. She later claimed he had beaten her during their relationship, a claim he denied. He later married [[model]] Debbie Brooker.

===Acid house===

[[Category:British radio personalities|Brookes, Bruno]][[Category:BBC Radio 1 DJs|Brookes, Bruno]]

Brookes was also an early supporter of the fledgling [[acid house]] scene by championing [[Stakker Humanoid]], a November 1988 hit for [[Humanoid]] (AKA [[Brian Dougans]]). In a 2013 interview with ''[[The Guardian]]'', Brookes said that he was given a white label of the record and immediately fell under its spell. "It just got to me. I remember listening to it and thinking it was one step ahead of everything techno that was coming out. It wasn't copying anything else; it was just fabulous." As a result, he played the record twice in one show – a very unusual step for a prime-time radio DJ.<ref name="Stuart Aitken">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/nov/11/stakker-humanoid-25th-anniversary-acid-house |title=Stakker Humanoid: how the Future Sound of London won hearts and minds |date=11 November 2013|author=Stuart Aitken|work=The Guardian}}</ref>

==="Killing in the Name" controversy===

While presenting the Top 40, Brookes accidentally played the full uncensored version of "[[Killing in the Name]]" by [[Rage Against the Machine]] on 21 February 1993.<ref name="musicfanclubs1">{{cite web|url=http://www.musicfanclubs.org/rage/articles/trivialized.htm |title=rage: Articles/Interviews |publisher=Musicfanclubs.org |date= |accessdate=29 January 2011}}</ref> The song contains 15 instances of the word "[[Fuck]]".<ref name="musicfanclubs1"/> Brookes was not made aware of the language in the track and, as a new entry, included it in the broadcast. Brookes and his producer, Simon Sadler, were preparing a trailer for the following week's show whilst the song played, so they were unaware of what was going out on air. The station immediately received 138 phone calls of complaint.{{cn|date=February 2025}}

==Television work==

During his period at Radio 1, Brookes was on the ''[[Top of the Pops]]'' host roster and also presented ''[[Beat the Teacher]]'' on BBC television, a children's quiz where pupils took on teachers in a [[general knowledge]] game based on [[noughts and crosses]]. He was the last of the show's three presenters, following [[Howard Stableford]] and ex-[[Manfred Mann]] singer [[Paul Jones (singer)|Paul Jones]]. He also hosted the dating show ''Love at First Sight'' and the angling show ''Tight Lines'' on [[British Sky Broadcasting|Sky]].

He also appeared in the ''[[Brass Eye]]'' series, in which he read an appeal against the fictitious drug "cake".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/attempt-to-get-to-the-heart-of-the-brass-necked-enigmatic-dark-prince-of-comedy-1.660759|title=Attempt to get to the heart of the brass-necked, enigmatic 'Dark Prince of Comedy'|work=Irish Times|first=Stephen|last=Dixon|date=4 May 2010}}</ref>

==Immedia==

Brookes founded the corporate communications company [[Immedia]] in 2000, a provider of in-store radio stations, including to HSBC, Ikea, and Topshop.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/tv-radio/want-know-who-s-blame-all-those-shop-radio-stations-try-bruno-brookes-6285556.html?amp|title=Want to know who's to blame for all those shop radio stations? Try Bruno Brookes|first=Tom|last=Peck|work=The Independent|date=6 January 2012}}</ref> The company was founded as Storm Radio, initially providing [[internet radio]] services, and was floated on the [[Alternative Investment Market]] in 2003.<ref name=growth>{{cite news|url=https://www.growthbusiness.co.uk/playing-it-right-immedia-147/|title=Playing it right: Immedia|date=1 October 2004|work=GrowthBusiness|last=Nair|first=Praseeda}}</ref> After May 2001, the stations removed human DJs and were automated<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2001/may/21/newmedia1|title=Bruno Brookes station unveils second launch|first=Amy|last=Vickers|date=21 May 2001|work=The Guardian}}</ref> and they closed in 2002 in favour of in-store stations.<ref name=growth/> He resigned as CEO in May 2020.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.insidermedia.com/news/south-east/bruno-brookes-to-step-down-as-immedia-chief-exec|title=Bruno Brookes to step down as Immedia Chief Exec|date=1 May 2020 |first=Storm|last=Rannard|work=Insider Media}}</ref>

==Personal life==

Brookes was in a relationship for eight years with TV presenter [[Anthea Turner]] until the early 1990s, when she left him for fellow DJ [[Peter Powell (DJ)|Peter Powell]]. She later said he was abusive, which he said was an exaggeration.<ref>{{Cite news

|url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1371664/Ex-lover-denies-that-he-beat-up-Anthea-Turner.html

|title=Ex-lover denies that he beat up Anthea Turner

|first=Hugh

|last=Davies

|work=The Telegraph

|accessdate=30 January 2011

|___location=London

|date=25 October 2000

}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2000/oct/24/gender.uk|title='I felt it was my fault'|first= Scarlett|last=MccGwire|date=24 October 2000|work=The Guardian}}</ref> He married model Debbie Brooker in 1994, they resided in [[Newbury, Berkshire|Newbury]], but they separated in January 2002 and were divorced.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/1748803.stm|title=Bruno Brookes splits with wife|work=BBC News|date=8 January 2002}}</ref>

He received a 12-month driving ban in 1999 for drink driving.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/dj-on-drink-charge-1118057.html?amp|title=DJ on drink charge|work=The Independent|date=28 August 1999}}</ref> In May 2006, Brookes suffered a heart attack and was treated at [[St Thomas' Hospital]], London where he was interviewed by [[Nadia Sawalha]] as a patient on [[BBC One]]'s ''City Hospital''. In the interview, he said he would try to give up smoking, which he acknowledged as the main reason for his illness.<ref>[http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5023654.stm "Ex-Radio 1 star has heart attack"], BBC, 27 May 2006.</ref>

==References==

{{Reflist}}<!--added above External links/Sources by script-assisted edit-->

==External links==

* {{IMDb name|id=0111788|name=Bruno Brookes}}

* [http://www.immediaplc.com/ Bruno Brookes' Company, Immedia]

{{s-start}}

{{s-media}}

{{succession box

| before=[[Richard Skinner (broadcaster)|Richard Skinner]]

| title=[[BBC Radio 1]]<br>chart show presenter

| years=30 March 1986 – 23 September 1990

| after=[[Mark Goodier]]

}}

{{succession box

| before=[[Tommy Vance]]

| title=[[BBC Radio 1]]<br>chart show presenter

| years=15 March 1992 – 16 April 1995

| after=[[Mark Goodier]]

}}

{{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brookes, Bruno}}

[[Category:1959 births]]

[[Category:English radio DJs]]

[[Category:Businesspeople from Staffordshire]]

[[Category:Living people]]

[[Category:Mass media people from Staffordshire]]

[[Category:Entertainers from Stoke-on-Trent]]

[[Category:BBC Radio 1 presenters]]

[[Category:English chief executives]]