Stuart Webster

Everyone’s favourite man to wake up to, Stuart Webster from Tay FM is celebrating after scooping the ‘Best Local Radio Show’ award at this year’s Audio & Radio Industry Awards (ARIAS).

Webster, who lives in Perth and who has been presenting his much-loved Wake up With Webster show for over a decade now, was up against some stiff opposition from across the UK making his silver award all the more special.

He told us: “It is fantastic to have won this silver award from the ARIAS. Claire and I are very lucky. We love what we do and have such a laugh on air and we hope that comes across. A special thanks must go to all of our listeners, they are like our family. We share our lives, and they love to share theirs too and that is what makes our show so successful.”

We caught up with him the week after his win to chat about his weekday life as a radio presenter and weekends spent with the kids at Noah’s Ark – “while I’m wearing noise-cancelling headphones hoping to snooze. #Ifonly”.

When he’s not presenting you can find him Shopping at Tesco where he ALWAYS forgets his bags, happily treating the family to dinner at The Maltings…it’s just down the road or walking along the lade or the banks of the Tay.

1. What does a typical day at work look like for you?

Snooze my alarm several times when it blasts off at 430am…Tumble outta bed and stumble to the kitchen…Pour myself a cup of ambition…Yawnin' and stretchin' and try to come to life…

Jump in the shower and the blood starts pumpin’ as I’m on air working…err…6 till 10am. After the broadcast, it’s all about planning what to do the next day, constantly searching for ideas/content/stories of interest that are relatable to people living in Tayside and Fife.

2. What was the job you had immediately before this one?

I worked at Somerfield (remember them) Supermarket as a point of sale (POS) supervisor organising the signage for the store. A job I was sacked from for calling the manager a name on air when I was 17…being young and naive I thought the word I said meant something else. I can never tell you that word. That proved to be a pivotal moment in my life, something I’ll never forget, as I then moved to Edinburgh and my eyes were opened up to the big wide world.

3. Where did you grow up?

Some would say I haven’t…yet. Including my wife. Born in Inverness, raised in Galashiels. Perth is my proper home…on the day we moved 10 years ago my son was born at PRI. On the same day! #stress Thanks to my mum and dad who sorted out the house while my wife and I waited 29 hours for Lewis to arrive.

The day I was told my nipples were too small was a weird highlight.

4. Tell us the weirdest / funniest thing that has ever happened to you at work?

SO many to choose in this job including brussel sprout nose racing (yes, really), hot air balloon rides, learning to fly and bungee jumping. But I suppose the day I was told my nipples were too small was a weird highlight.

It was Cash For Kids Superhero Day which fell on Friday 13th…so we decided to do FriDARES every hour that day. I was waxed within an inch of my life, spent an hour covered in snakes and spiders and the listeners decided I should get a piercing. Choosing my right nipple to be emblazoned with some jewellery we visited the tattoo place in Dundee…only to be told my nipples were too small! The best sentence I’ve ever heard in my life #phew!

In the end, the back of my right hand was pierced instead. It was sore and silly….and soon removed 2 weeks later.

5. What signals the start of your days off?

It’s gotta start with a lie-in. Sleep is king. A cup of black coffee has to follow…with several more soon after. Coffee is queen.

A visit to Sweeney Todd barbers in South Street always cheers me up, I often need a trim and Will the owner is a hoot. Right next door is the Auld Hoose public house, I know Mark the landlord well so a pint of Fosters beckons usually accompanied by Star Wars chat – he has the biggest Star Wars collection in Perth.

I’ll collect the boys from school at 3pm (they are 8 and almost 10), have a footie kick around with them…cos it’s one of the few things I can skill them at (for now) so need to feel better about myself. The house must be tidy with all jobs done before my wife gets home at 6pm or I won’t enjoy any adult wrestling that evening.

6. What might people be surprised to know about you?

I’m not fat, bald and 40. Listeners often say to me upon meeting “oh you don’t look like you sound, I thought you were fat bald and 40!” Well, two outta three ain’t bad huh.

Oh and I’m a BIG horror fan and i'm involved in a company Perth City Council have commissioned for Halloween Events the past 3 years, Castle Horror. Boo!

I’m not fat, bald and 40.

7. What is at the top of your bucket list?

My mission is to be a quiz question answer one day. You know you’ve made it if you are the answer to a quiz question….the dream would be on Blockbusters. What ‘W’ is the name of a radio presenter who made headlines for having the smallest nipples in Perth? Webster. Correct…you’ve won record vouchers.

8. What is the worst job you’ve ever had?

I had SO many jobs before getting full time radio 20 years ago including B&Q garden department, Victoria Wine (remember them) Assistant Manager, United Distillers (cheap beer), BHS Menswear department (remember them) and I used to work in a card shop, the dullest, most mind-numbingly boring job ever. Only ever busy 4 times a year…Valentines was bigger than Christmas. I amused myself by placing my favourite cards front and centre. The one that made me chuckle most was a Get Well Soon card that read… “My friend can’t afford to pay his water bill anymore, so I sent him a card, “Get well soon.”

GALLERY

9. Who or what inspires you?

Life. Simple. Every day things that happen in family life are a constant inspiration for relatable content that works on the radio.

10. Tell us about the day you’d love to live again?

I’d love to re-do the day my almost-10-year-old was born at PRI so I can soak in every single detail and steal most of wife’s gas again. She was in labour for 29 hours…that’s A LOT of gas.

11. What’s the best part about your job?

People. The listeners. We couldn’t be the Number 1 Local Commercial Radio Show in Britain if it wasn’t for the stories we’re regaled with on a daily basis. I smile every morning.

12. Complete this sentence; the best things in life are….

Sleep. Coffee. Kids. Not necessarily in that order….though that does help.

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Wake Up With Webster is on-air weekdays 6am-10am on Tay FM.

Listen on FM, DAB radio, online at TayFM.co.uk, via the Radio Tay App and smart speakers.