Soft Lad: Coming-of-age Stories

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The book is his latest invitation to his noisy, cosy party, one that he’s determined to continue beyond Radio 1, all of us part of the straight-through crew. There was the time, shortly after he’d moved to London to work at MTV, that Amy Winehouse ran up and befriended him in the street. I loved Nick on Radio 1 from the very first Switch sessions right until he left, so I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook. In lockdown, though, battling with anxiety, he signed up to do a meditation course and as it approached he realised something. I particularly liked the beginning when he was discussing his procrastination at starting the book, it's a standard autobiography but it isn't chronological, the timeline jumps around covering various points that Nick wishes to discuss such as his experience on Sport Relief, his realisation that he is gay and anecdotes from his radio career.

But I realised it was a process – those nights out were helping me feel part of something, and making me feel accepting of gay me. Grimmy is actually very 'in there' with the biggest celebrities in the world, you only have to look at the photos in the book to see that (love a photo section in a book btw), but yet when you're reading his words, he doesn't come across like a knobby celeb at all. The problem with writing a memoir, found Nick Grimshaw as he started his, was that it meant facing himself. By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file.In Soft Lad, for the first time, Grimmy will share his outlooks, surprising obsessions, the things that have shaped him and his personal experiences with the world. Although I can't relate to any of this (other than growing up in the north) there was something so familiar about what he was writing. Because, yes, this is a man who first became famous in the early 2000s for being papped falling out of parties with friends like Harry Styles and Kate Moss, a man who would present his breakfast show after staying out all night, his hangover kicking in as most people were settling down to work. These are his very best tales and learnings about himself from things gone right and wrong, with all the high and lows, that will make listeners laugh, cry and feel completely nostalgic. Down from Oldham for a football match with his dad one day, little Nick persuaded him to detour so he could look through the windows of the Radio 1 offices, because when he grew up that was where he wanted to present the breakfast show.

I remember having it on in my room constantly as background noise because when you're too young to go off on your own and have to stay at home, it's like having another friend. These are Grimmy’s stories of things gone right and wrong across his life and career so far, with all the highs and lows and everything in-between. Growing up in a northern town's cosy suburbia, regular trips to town with Mum whilst singing in the car.Listened as an audiobook and it was great hearing it told by Grimmy himself, took me right back to morning drives to school listening to his Radio 1 breakfast show, always made me laugh and this book did exactly that, but also had some really genuine moments too. Once we’d done trauma, mourning, gay guilt, regular guilt and Catholic guilt, we got on to the easy-breezy ‘Oh yeah, btw forgot to mention, I’m absolutely terrified of being alone. From his move from Oldham, Greater Manchester, to the bright lights of London, to his 14-year career climbing to the helm of the Radio 1 breakfast show, he’ll discuss everything from his love of music through to self-care, partying, life-changing nights out, growing up, Red Nose Day, coming out, dogs, family, ADHD, Catholicism, and all that he’s seen in-between. It's a collection of stories: stories on life, loves, death, fears, obsessions, nights out, growing up and making dreams come true.