DJ Spoony’s Christmas Day is destined to look very different from last year. The BBC Radio 2 presenter, real name is Johnathan Joseph, woke up in hospital on 25 December, 2024, after undergoing emergency surgery for a bleed on the brain.
“It was my girlfriend’s birthday and I’d had headaches for about three or four weeks,” he tells me. “I’d woken up after very little sleep and decided I was going to A&E. It was a Saturday morning and fairly quiet.” Some preliminary tests and a scan revealed a subdural haematoma that was moving the brain, causing pressure in his head, which explained the headaches. He was immediately sent to a neighbouring hospital with a specialist neurology ward where he was told he needed an operation on his brain.
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“Speaking about it now, I can feel myself getting a little bit tingly because I was totally naive to what was going to happen,” he admits. “It was quite a significant thing. I was on a ward with some people who didn’t know who they were, or where they were,” he recalls.
After his operation on Christmas Eve, Joseph was thankfully able to go home the following day: Christmas Day. It’s an experience that understandably made a big impact on him. “It definitely made me think that life is for living and that we shouldn’t take things for granted,” he continues. “I was sitting in bed on that ward thinking how quickly life can get taken away from you. I wasn’t skydiving or racing round the streets – it was just one of those things. And it could happen to someone who’s fit and healthy, who doesn’t drink or smoke. It’s margins, really. I’m eternally thankful for the NHS and how quickly I was seen and treated,” he adds.
DJ Spoony hosts his Good Groove show on Radio 2 (Photo: James Watkins/BBC)
After beginning his career on pirate radio and forming part of the Dreem Team trio of DJs and producers, London-born Joseph moved to Kiss FM and helped kick-start the UK garage movement in the 1990s. From there, he secured presenting gigs at BBC Radio 1, Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio 2, where he settled in 2019. Since 2022, he’s hosted his own show, The Good Groove, where he spins a mix of joyful floor fillers, soulful house and lyrical garage tunes. This Christmas, he’s also taking the reins of three major slots, including the Drivetime show on 22 December, a Boxing Day special, plus a Driving Home for Christmas set on Christmas Eve, between 4-7pm. How does he feel about presenting such revered slots on the UK’s most popular radio station?
“It comes with a lot of responsibility,” he says. “There will be lots of people, like myself, who won’t be with their families or friends, and they’re going to want some good company.”
In terms of the music, Joseph has some surprises up his sleeve to get people in the festive spirit. “There’s a cut by Donny Hathaway, something by Luther Vandross, plus some good stuff that might not typically get played on daytime radio,” he reveals.
And it’s that autonomy to play what he wants, when he wants, that makes his job such a special one. “Presenting on radio is one thing,” he says. “Having the freedom to play the music I love is another. I feel incredibly lucky and fortunate to do what I do.”
DJ Spoony is taking his Christmas show seriously (Photo: James Watkins/BBC)
The opportunities radio has offered him is something Joseph continues to be grateful for. “There have been some amazing moments,” he reflects. “I did a Big Guest Friday slot with Zoe Ball and Sananda Maitreya (previously known as Terence Trent D’Arby) in the studio. Growing up, his Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D’Arby was one of my favourite albums. And there I was, sitting next to him in the studio, chewing the fat. Olivia Dean (Grammy, Brit and Mercury Award nominated singer selected as BBC Introducing Artist of the Year 2023) was there, too. It was beautiful.”
And rubbing shoulders with some of radio’s brightest and best never gets old. “You’ve got to understand that there are people at Radio 2 who are now my peers and colleagues who I used to watch and be entertained by growing up. Dermot O’Leary… we have an annual gathering where I get to hang out with him and Romesh Ranganathan. Obviously, the great work that Trevor [Nelson] has done, not only for his career, but our community – he’s been a beacon forever. Vernon Kay is a friend of mine, Jo Whiley, Sarah [Cox]… sometimes you look around and think, ‘wow – am I worthy?’ Because they really are the elite of the elite. I get to hang out with the best of the best on the best station where everyone wants to be.”
Despite his gratitude and respect for his colleagues, Joseph has retained a refreshingly down-to-earth attitude towards his work. “Every show is a learning experience,” he smiles. “And it keeps you honest. My main takeaway is don’t ever think you’ve got it mastered, because you never have. I’m always learning.”
DJ Spoony will be presenting on Radio 2 at 4-7pm from 22 December to 2 January. ‘The Wonder of Stevie with DJ Spoony’ will be on Radio 2 and BBC Sounds on New Year’s Day at 5-6pm.
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