Greg James: ‘We’ve reached peak Instagram influencer ... their posts are disposable’

'Disposable': Greg James thinks the social media landscape has changed
Ed Smith / Comic Relief Ltd
Alistair Foster29 March 2018
The Weekender

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Radio 1 host Greg James has hit out at the “disposable” material created by social media influencers.

The DJ, 32, who also writes children’s books, prides himself on putting thought and effort into the online material he creates to go with his afternoon show, such as comedy sketches and a podcast.

He said: “The landscape has changed slightly. I don’t necessarily think there is more material around, more that some of the bad stuff is a bit louder.

"It won’t stick around for long. A lot of it is very disposable. Some posts are sort of, ‘Oh look, it’s another advert for the smoothie that has just paid you £2,000 to talk about it’.

They’re not really adding much to the world. There are more creative platforms than ever and it’s important to have a presence online, it’s just that people should try to be interesting and creative with it.”

James, who is known for his happy-go-lucky persona, has a different side off-air.

He said: “I am cynical. I do like to have fun and make the listeners laugh — I’d never be one to go on the radio and have a moan. But in my own actual life I hate many, many things! But not lovely things — things like Instagram influencers, certain TV shows.”

He also revealed he is still having physiotherapy for knee and back injuries he sustained during his Pedal to the Peaks Sport Relief challenge this month.

The feat, which raised more than £1 million for mental health charities, involved scaling Scafell Pike, Ben Nevis and Snowdon, and cycling 300 miles in between.

It had to be delayed part of the way through because of dangerous weather. He said: “I will not go on a bike for a long time. I don’t think I’m ever going to climb a mountain again either. That said, it was one of the most exciting experiences of my life.”

James’s second children’s book, Kid Normal And The Rogue Heroes, was published last week

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