Dan Walker - Radio Career

Radio Career

Walker's first foray into broadcasting was co-presenting two shows on the University of Sheffield's Sure FM student radio station - the midweek sports-themed evening show and 'Dan & Edd In The Afternoon', for which he and co-presenter Ed Hoyland were nominated for a BBC Radio One Student Radio award.

Gained as the prize for winning a competition for young sports commentators, Dan's professional broadcasting career started with work experience at Sheffield's Hallam FM, working with presenters such as Emma Scott, Anthony Gay, Daryl Denham and Scottie McClue. In 1999, Walker moved to a full-time career with a 4 year stint as a sports presenter and commentator for Manchester's Key 103 radio. In his time at Key 103 he presented the regular midweek sports show (often broadcasting from UEFA Champions League matches at Manchester United's Old Trafford ground, and also appeared as the resident sports correspondent for Mike Toolan's breakfast show.

In addition, he had two short-lived comedic roles whilst at the station. The first was in 2001 on Justin Moorhouse's Piccadilly Magic 1152 show, doing 'special investigations' into numerous comical topics, such as brushes, cement and patios. While these segments were warmly received by listeners, they lasted only months before being canned. The second was in 2002 on Adam Cole's Key 103 afternoon show, where, as Cosmic Dave, Walker took on the persona of a sham psychic and spiritualist. The segments were something of a success (being nominated for a New York Radio Award) and were discussed and replayed on other shows on the network, with Cosmic Dave's 'death' prompting over 2,500 messages on the station's website. However, Walker's diversification into comedy would end with his move into television.