Ian Collins (radio presenter)

Ian Collins is a British radio and television presenter and journalist. He is the most recent signing to host The Late Show on LBC - allegedly the UK's most listened to current affairs/topical debate programme.

He previously hosted The Late Show (10pm Mon - Thurs) on talkSPORT. The show was non-sport and took a comedic/observational look at news and current affairs. Collins confirmed on-air that his Late Show, ending 1am: 2 September, would be his last for talkSPORT and that his departure, after 16 years with the station, had been amicably planned since approximately June 2011. During his final show, Collins loosely suggested he would be involved in political debate in some capacity, and may make future appearances on talkSPORT, although this was not clarified.

Collins became a presenter on Invicta FM in Kent. He joined the newly launched Talk Radio UK in 1995, which is now known as talkSPORT and is the station's longest serving presenter. He presented the Overnight show, Ian Collins and the Creatures of the Night from 1995 to 2002, then the Late-Night Weekend Show, Ian Collins: Unbranded from 2002 to 2004, replacing Tommy Boyd. Collins replaced Paul Hawksbee and Andy Jacobs on the afternoon show from 1pm-4pm for a short time at the start of the Iraq War in 2003. In 2004, he replaced Mike Dickin on the mid morning show from 10am - 1pm, including a spell co-hosting the show with Mike Parry. From May 2006, Collins moved on to host The Ultimate Late Show, from 1am to 5am which he both wrote and produced along with Alan Hyde. He then moved to the 10pm to 1am slot in 2008 after James Whale left the station. Collins also presented The Incredibly Early Breakfast Show between 5am and 6am. On 19 February 2012, he presented his first show on LBC 97.3. In 2014 he joined BBC Radio Kent as part of its re-launch as a Sassy, Punchy, in-your-face radio station aimed at a far younger audience than virtually every other BBC Local Radio station.

He made his first TV appearances on cable channel L!VE TV in the late 1990s.

He appears often on The Daily Politics - BBC2, This Week - BBC1, BBC News 24, Sky News and London Tonight, and was TalkSport's presenter of choice during major news events such as the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict.

Collins wrote the book I Bet You Won't Read This: Confessions Of A Night Time Radio Host (ISBN 0953979806) which includes unedited letters that had been sent into his show - the book also offers tips on how to get into the radio industry. He is currently writing his second book - 87 People I'd Like to Slap due for release in Spring 2017.

He is a friend of Danny Wallace, and appears in his books Are You Dave Gorman?, Join Me, Yes Man and Friends Like These.

References

External links

• Official website
• Talksport's profile
• Ian Collins at the Internet Movie Database
• The Late Show with Ian Collins on Facebook