Shocking Radio 1 ageism - they put on Greg James (23) but no sign of Tony Brandon (76) in the schedules

A confession first. I first listened to Radio 1 when Tony Brandon did the "bit in the middle" lunch time slot. Now, that is going back a bit.

Along with occasional flits round Radio 2, 4, Absolute (the radio not the vodka - which hasn't go an 'e' anyway), XFM, Heart etc, I still do listen to Radio 1, mainly because I am seduced into it by my offspring. Chris Moyles? A great talk show. Scott Mills? Very funny. But I do like Nihal and his 3.15 fact machine which often isn't a fact machine ("Walt Disney has the third largest navy in the world" - yes, of course, if nations go to war using log flume boats).

Unfortunately, Nihal's fact machine is no more at 3.15 because there's been an almighty shake up and Nihal has now been shuffled off to nights. (I'll say this for Radio 1, they certainly cater for lots of tastes in music in non-peak hours when I am not listening.)

So poor old Nihal - I really like the man. But, then again, I am still rather bemused as to why Spoony isn't still on Radio 1 on Saturday mornings. We used to like being official members of his "early doors" club as we ventured, bleary-eyed, to swimming at some ungodly hour.

Jo Whiley has been plonked onto the weekends. Not before time, if you ask me. She breathes too much. She's been replaced by the excellent Fearne Cotton who is much better than Whiley. This has brought forward accusations of ageism from the Daily Mail. Jo Whiley is 43. Come off it. It's Radio 1. There are only two people who have defied age to stay on Radio 1. John Peel and Annie Nightingale (and they never had regular peak weekday slots). Even Simon Bates had to be dragged physically out of the studio, after his fingers were prised forcibly from the desk using a crowbar, in the end.

Edith Bowman has also been shoved on to the weekends. I suspect her ratings weren't too good, darling. I like her. But Fearne Cotton is better. Fearne Cotton is the biz.

But Greg James replaces Edith. He's a bit too whilly-woffly for my liking. But the Daily Mail says he is only 23, so he's been put on to get young listeners. (Well they're doing well to keep fifty year-olds, if I am anything to go by.) (By the way, I have just had an awful thought. I was a radio dee-jay for a few years. But I have just realised that Greg James was born - actually physically born - a clear two years after I did my last radio show. For goodness sake, I've been married for longer than he's been alive! Blimey - I am old).

Ho hum.