You shot to fame as the host of Radio 1's Early Breakfast, from 4am to 6.30am. Would you say you have a face for radio?

I'm image-conscious to a point, but I'm not into fashion, and especially not hats. I like to look nice, but at 2am the last thing I want is to faff around with hair products.

Have some of the older DJs taken you under their wing?

They really have - Scott Mills, for example. It's strange to be working with the same people I grew up listening to.

Feel like you've got permanent jetlag with all those early starts?

I have to make a conscious effort to exercise and eat regularly because I do such strange hours, and there's no real routine. It doesn't come naturally to get up at 2.30am.

Any tips for early birds?

The key is to get up straight away, even if you feel like death. It's much worse in winter when it's still dark after the show.

How does the girlfriend cope with all the attention you must be getting?

I think she finds it mind-blowing that I'm on the radio.

Sex, drugs and rock'n'roll not taken your fancy?

I don't like that whole aspect of showbiz, but there's nothing better than a big night out to make you forget about everything. I like getting all my old uni and school mates together and having a really fun night.

What's a typical daily routine?

Alarm at 2.30am, shower, eat some fruit and get a taxi to the show. Arrive at 3.10am to prepare and talk to my producer, then a quick bowl of cereal and on air at 4am. The show finishes at 6.30am and I leave as soon as everything is done to be back in bed by 8am. I sleep for three or four hours, then I'm up again for a normalish day. Ideally bed by 9pm, but it's tricky.

As a performer, do you ever get nervous?

Only in a good way; nervous excited rather than bad nervous. I tend to jump up and down or run about quickly to expel a bit of energy when I do.

Ever tongue-tied?

Sometimes if it's really early my brain stops working and I forget what's going on. I call it, “hitting the Early Breakfast wall” - when you find yourself staring into the distance.Fit as a fiddle?

I'm training for the BUPA Great North Run on October 5; I ran five miles the other day and it nearly killed me. I try to stay fit and healthy as it helps my show and makes me sleep better.

Gym bunny or prefer the great outdoors?

I go to the gym and I have a personal trainer, which helps me to stay motivated. I don't enjoy running for long periods of time. I prefer competitive sports such as cricket or tennis, but tend to make do with swimming, or the gym.

Goji berries or McDonald's?

I'm pretty good with my diet, but I don't eat regularly enough. Sometimes I'd rather sleep than eat. My food vice is probably pizza - a nice thin Italian stonebaked one - and I eat two bananas during each of my shows.

Green tea or GP?

I tend to steer away altogether. I have taken sleeping tablets, but they tend to mess me up so I try to avoid them.

Religious?

No, but I live by morals. I never felt that I could rely on religion. I like to tackle things head-on and get advice from friends, speak to my parents or see my girlfriend for a hug.

Close to your family?

My family is very important to me. I talk to my mum, dad and sister a lot, and it's great when we all meet up.

How do you escape?

People often don't understand that what I do can be stressful. There's a lot of pressure to entertain every day at a ridiculous time in the morning, so I like to escape London at the weekend and turn my phone off.

Fame gone to your head?

I don't tend to get recognised that much and I think it's more important to be known and respected for what you do.

Any strange propositions?

Yeah, a few, asking me to meet up for drinks, etc, which is...

Creepy?

There are a lot of weirdos out there and I'm sure a few of them listen to my show. When we were doing a show in Majorca, one chap broke into the Radio 1 area and asked me to pretend we were mates. When the bouncers asked me, I just didn't have the heart to tell them otherwise.

Early Breakfast, Radio 1, weekdays, 4am-6.30am

Explore Celebrity

• People

Times recommends

• Live chat: Thrifty ways to update your winter wardrobe
• Is anybody out there really listening?
• Nutrition Q&A: Will eating late make me fat?