RADIO DJ Mark Radcliffe has spoken of his delight to be presenting the TV coverage of the legendary Glastonbury festival again.
The BBC 6Music and Radio 2 presenter was announced last month ahead of the festival, which kicks off on June 26.
Headliners at Worthy Farm this year include The Rolling Stones, The Arctic Monkeys and Mumford and Sons.
Dad-of-three Mark, from Bolton, said: ”The first time I got asked to do it on TV was back in 1994.
“But I was also a punter before then, so I reckon I have done nearly 30 Glastonburys [in total].
“I’m always expecting them to phone me up and say that they have someone better to do it, but thankfully they don’t. I’m delighted.
“On a Saturday night you really feel that it is the number one music event in the world.
“It’s a privilege to front it up. Everyone else wants my job that day.”
Mark, who presents the Radio 2 Folk Show, is looking forward to watching the artists on the smaller stages.
He said: “I spend a lot of time away from the main stage if I can. It’s a mellower atmosphere.
“I feel more comfortable with folk music — the atmosphere is magical.
“Main stage-wise I’m really looking forward to the Rolling Stones, but also little bands like Stealing Sheep.”
Mark, who is also one-half of the Radcliffe and Maconie show, which airs on 6Music every afternoon, took over full-time from John Peel after he died in 2004.
He said: “I would probably not have this job if John Peel was still with us. John used to get fed up of doing it occasionally and I was the stand-in.
“But when he sadly passed away the baton was passed on to me.
“I thought that they would let me go and get someone younger in but half of the acts at the festival are older than me, and I’m 55 this month.
“If you had 20-year-olds presenting they would probably have no idea who half the acts were.”
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