Magic FM

Foxy's Biography

25 years ago, having just graduated from Bath University with an Honours degree in Business and Marketing, Neil Fox had a dilemma: he had a place waiting at Sandhurst Military Academy, although he now wanted to be a broadcaster but found himself working for a packaging company in Worcester instead. Through a local newspaper competition he managed to get his foot in the door of Radio Wyvern, the local ILR station, and once in, never looked back. Starting full-time at Wyvern in September ’85, he made a deal with his father that if he had not made it to either Capital or Radio 1 by the time he was 30, he would quit and find a “real” job.

Just a year after that deal, he was on  Radio Luxembourg and after only 9 months on-air on the Great 208 was offered a job by Richard Park at  Capital FM London. Neil was 26. That was September 1987 and for the next 17 years Neil played a major role in helping shape one of the greatest radio stations on earth. Through legendary shows such as Fox’s Jukebox, The Surgery, (where he gained the Doctor nickname) and the world-famous Pepsi Chart, which became by far the biggest Sunday afternoon Top 40 show in the UK for the next 10 years, Neil became one of the UK’s best-loved and most-listened-to DJ’s. He is a born entertainer, natural communicator  and has a unique interviewing style that brings out the very best whether it be the world’s biggest stars or everyday listeners: in Neil’s eyes everybody is equal and has a story to tell. This unique style has helped him win pretty much every major award going in radio, both here and internationally. (8 Sony’s, including Broadcaster of the Year, 6 Smash Hits National DJ of the year awards, 3 New York awards, and Arqiva’s Broadcaster of the year  to name a few).

But Neil has never been one to rest on his laurels. In spring 2005 it was time to leave Capital and find a new challenge:  he found it at Magic FM where once again Neil was working alongside his friend and mentor Richard Park.. And what a challenge it was: to create a personality-led full-service breakfast show on a station that was sold on being More Music and Less Talk in a market crammed full every morning with the country’s finest on-air talent.  But it was not long before he was back where he loved being; at number 1 in the market, for both the station and with his More Music breakfast show. And his show and Magic continue to go from strength to strength.

At the end of 2007, Neil achieved what every young broadcaster surely dreams of : entry into the UK Radio Hall of Fame. A wonderful achievement  but tinged with a touch of sadness that his father Roy had not been there to see him receive the accolade. It may not have been a “real job” but  it had become a fabulous career. The next year saw Neil picking up another enormous industry award when he was won the Arqiva Gold for his work on and for the commercial radio industry.

While his radio career has been flourishing, Neil has also been busy carving out a career on TV. In the late 1990’s he turned one of his infamous radio shows into a  series of 6 late-night live shows on LWT called Dr.Fox’s video jukebox, which  led to endless appearances on all kinds of entertainment and music shows ever since. 2 years hosting Channel 5’s Pepsi Chart was great experience too. However it was a long-term friendship with record supremo Simon Cowell that was to give him that really big break. Neil had known Simon for many years and used to test out Simon’s new bands and records on his radio shows and it was at a lunch one day that Simon asked if he would like to come on board a new project that he and  Simon Fuller were putting together. (Neil had worked a lot with Simon Fuller as well on the whole Spice Girl project and its association with Pepsi). That, of course, was Pop Idol and for everyone connected with that show, it was an unbelievable experience. Neil quickly became a household face, as well as a voice, and has proved he is far more than just a quick-witted music judge, by hosting a succession of prime-time ITV shows since then. The Record of the Year,  The Great British Test series with Gabby Logan, Dumb Britain, Discomania, and most recently The Big Call, to name but a few.  Recently, he has added another string to his bow with acting, firstly on the BBC TV comedy series The Wrong Door and then alongside Peter Kaye on the reality spoof Britain’s Got The Pop Factor. And as a music expert and commentator on the world of entertainment, Neil is never off our screens, or out of the press.

He has recently started his own production company, Powderblue, and is currently working with 4 other world-class production companies on fresh new formats for network television. He also has a film company, Powderblue Pictures, with 3 feature length films in pre-production. And he is writing a series of childrens’ books.  Exciting but extremely busy times!

Neil is an incredibly hard-working and easy-to-work-with professional with an unquenchable energy for life: and a strong dislike of primadonnas and out-of-control egos. He loves his adrenaline sports and is an excellent snowboarder, golfer and tennis player. A qualified helicopter pilot (18 years), motorbike fanatic, (daily rain-or-shine commuter) and has recently got his UK motor-racing licence. In contrast, and in typical Gemini tradition, he is also an extremely caring and deep-thinking human being, who works tirelessly for charity, is very conscious of our planet and environment and how we must all play a part in looking after it. ( He is a Patron/Ambassador of 4 charities and a non-exec director of Green Rewards).

There is no doubt that Neil’s biog reads pretty well but if you were to ask him of his greatest achievements there would be no contest: his family.  He is a proud father of 3 gorgeous kids Scarlet (7) and Jack (6) and Martha (2). And lives in Fulham  with his fabulous wife of 9 years Victoria, a power yoga instructor.

Radio Work
Magic’s More Music breakfast Show ( 2005 to present)
Capital Radio ( 1987 to 2005)…..Jukebox, Dr.Fox’s Surgery
Radio Luxembourg ( 1987)
Radio Wyvern (1985 to 1987)

Television…as Host
The Big Call  (Granada for ITV)
Discomania (Granada for ITV)
The Great British Spelling Test
The Great British Pop Test
The Great British Memory Test
The Great British Driving Test  (Granada ..all for ITV)
No Talent required (RDF for ITV)
The record of the Year ( Granada for ITV)
Top Ten even more annoying records ( with Simon Cowell for channel 4)
Dumb Britain ( North One for ITV)
Dumb Foreigners ( North One for ITV)
Before they were Famous ( Granada for ITV)
Pepsi Chart show ( Initial for Channel 5)
Dr.Fox’s Video Jukebox ( LWT for ITV)

Television acting
The Wrong Door for BBC TV
Britain’s Got The Pop Factor for Channel 4
Royal Variety Show 2009

Television appearances
Pop Idol (both Series). Judge
Celebrity Stars in Their Eyes (as Dean Martin).
The Weakest Link (twice)
UK Music Hall of Fame:Biggest selling Artists
Who Wants to be a Millionaire celebrity special
Have I got News For You.
Footballers Wives
Bo’ Selecta
Ant’n’Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway
Brits (as guest presenter)
Have I been Here Before?
National Music Awards (as guest presenter)
ITV’s best ever family films
ITV’s best ever ads
ITV’s 50 greatest shows
Brass Eye
Numerous appearances on This Morning, Des and Mel, GMTV, Loose Women etc.
& way too many clip shows.

Awards
Sony Broadcaster of the year and 8 other Sony’s
Arqiva Gold award.
Commercial radio broadcaster of the year.
6x Smash Hits National DJ of the year
3x New York World radio awards
Sun readers DJ of the year
And as part of the winning team on Pop Idol at the NTA’s, BAFTA’s and the Golden Rose of