Neil Francis (broadcaster)

{{short description|British freelance radio presenter|bot=PearBOT 5}}

{{About|the DJ|the rugby footballer|Neil Francis (rugby union)}}

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{{COI|date=August 2014}}

{{BLP sources|date=August 2010}}

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Neil Francis is a British freelance radio presenter, currently hosting afternoon drive on London DAB station,{{Cite web|url=http://radiotoday.co.uk/2016/06/neil-francis-martin-buchanan-join-thames-radio/|title=Neil Francis & Martin Buchanan join Thames Radio|language=en-US|access-date=2016-07-04}} Thames Radio, and previously presented programmes on Absolute Radio, Absolute 80s, Capital FM, Gold, Chiltern Radio and BBC Radio Kent.

Broadcasting career

Starting on local London pirate station Skyline Radio, Francis's first big break in radio came in 1985 with a stint on North Sea pirate Radio Caroline and he has also worked as a presenter for Chiltern Radio in Herts/Beds/Bucks, Invicta FM in Kent and Capital FM in London.

In his Virgin Radio stint, Francis presented at various time slots.

After Virgin re-branded to Absolute Radio he began to present a Friday night show called Absolute 80's and a Saturday morning breakfast show.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/mar/23/lucio-absolute-radio-neil-francis|title=Lucio takes over from Neil Francis at Absolute|last=Plunkett|first=John|date=23 March 2010|work=Guardian|accessdate=23 August 2010|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101210061244/http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/mar/23/lucio-absolute-radio-neil-francis|archivedate=10 December 2010|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}

Francis covered the Gold Network's Drive Time show on 25 August 2010. His last regular weekly show on the network was Saturday afternoons from 1-3pm.

During February 2011 he covered Steve Ladner on BBC Radio Kent's lunchtime show.

In April 2013, Gold Network suspended Francis for comments he had posted on Facebook about the comedian Jim Davidson.{{cite news|title=Presenter Neil Francis Suspended From Gold|url=http://radiotoday.co.uk/2013/04/presenter-neil-francis-suspended-from-gold/|publisher=Radio Today|author=Danny Boyle|date=12 April 2013|accessdate=15 April 2013}}{{cite web|title=Gold DJ Neil Francis suspended after Jim Davidson comments|url=http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kent_messenger/news/2013/april/12/gold_dj_neil_francis.aspx|publisher=Kent Online|accessdate=11 April 2013}}

In June 2016 he began hosting the weekday Drivetime slot on London's DAB station, Thames Radio.

In January 2020 he began hosting the weekday afternoon show 1-4pm on London's DAB station, Nation Radio UK.

References

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