Radio 1 DJ pulled off air after being told to 'have some respect' over comment on show
A BBC Radio 1 DJ has been pulled off air after being told to 'have some respect' over her comment on a show.
Arielle Free, 36, a DJ who first joined BBC Radio 1 back in 2019, was removed from the Ibiza show on Saturday (29 July) by fellow DJ Charlie Hedges, 37.
Arielle appeared as a guest on Charlie's show and revealed exactly what she thought about the disc jockey's set live on-air.
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Audio clips from the weekend broadcast show the encounter between the pair starting with Charlie, who hosted the Dance Anthem show, asking Arielle: "Are you okay? I mean, you've sounded better but it's okay."
Arielle then replied: "Well [...] this is what happens. You play on Friday night, you play on Saturday day and then your voice just goes."
She then asked: "Can I be honest with you Charlie? I expected better of you."
Trying to clarify the remark, Charlie responded: "What as in to sound like you?"
Arielle, the former Love Island: The Morning After podcast host, then said: "I don't like this song."
"Oh really?" Charlie replies before Arielle adds: "I hate it."
After some further inaudible dialogue, Charlie can be heard saying: "Sorry, I'm taking your mic down. It's my show, Arielle, have some respect please. This is Dance Anthems. Have some respect."
"See you later, get out of here," Charlie concluded.
Charlie had been playing HorsegiirL's 'My Barn, My Rules' during the incident.
It's clear that those listening to the broadcast at the time were beyond shocked by the whole ordeal with many taking to social media to share their views on the incident.
One took to Twitter to commend Charlie on how she handled the situation, writing: "Well played Charlie dealt with it like a boss."
A second echoed the praise: "@ariellefree @ahj that was awful, Charlie did well to shut you down. Any other job and you would be fired!"
"Show some respect Arielle Free @BBCR1," tweeted a third before adding: "Well done @charliehedges."
A fourth, however, defended Arielle's statements and penned: "'Unquestionably the wrong approach, but when @ariellefree looks back on this I hope she can take heart that she called out a real issue.
"The current infantilisation of Dance music - even in Ibiza (!)- feels disrespectful to everything that came before."
A spokesperson for BBC Radio 1 told LADbible: "Whilst we would not comment on individual matters, we have strict codes of behaviour for staff and presenters, and any breaches are taken extremely seriously."
Rhiannon Ingle