SPOTLIGHT SUNDAY

“Hello my ‘ansums”

Its that day of the week again where we bring you, all the latest about one of our members of the Ngage team!

This weeks Spotlight Sunday is our  presenter, Jan Pirret!

Jan has recently joined the Ngage Team as a presenter, some of you will of known her for her TikTok lives sharing her dating chronicles as well as just simply providing a safe, loving place for everybody to ‘ngage’ in conversation.

See what we did there?

Famous for her sassy hair colour, infectious personality and the trademark red lipstick we sat down with Jan and had a good old chat to bring you this weeks Spotlight Sunday!

“Hi everyone, I’m Jan or Janny depending on how well you know me! Almost 57 and hopelessly single *insert laughing emoji*, but having an entertaining time trying to fix that!  I was born in Cornwall and a little over 10 years ago I moved from St Ives and defected to Devon, I now live in Plymouth.  I still put my cream on top of the jam though.

I work full time at the University here in Plymouth, fab job managing people and doing small project work.  I seem to be in meetings a lot so I tend to say I talk for a living!  My previous roles have mostly been in either Office Management or Personal Assistant Roles, although I have worked in local authority and had a very interesting role in Democratic Services (love local politics!) for a couple of years”

In between work and broadcasting Jan loves spending time with family and friends!

“Family time with my abundance of nieces and nephews, travel and weekends away, music, music and more music… am a foodie, love to cook, love to eat too!   Love socialising, am a bit of a party animal despite my age!  Currently re-learning Spanish (I’ve tried so many times and failed, that ADHD thing), but I’m doing it this time, a little bit every day and its sticking I think.. I also have mi encantadora amiga DJ Lopez to help me.   I’d say I love reading but I’m rubbish at it… the short attention span!! Love social media like TikTok because it only needs my attention briefly before I move onto the next video!”

Anybody that has followed Jan before she became a presenter will know she LOVES music, but where did her love for music start from?

“I think I was around 7 years of age when I realised how much I loved music, my sister had a little record player for 7” singles given to her for a birthday present and we loved to sing and dance.  I was so envious of her record player but as we shared a room it was just as much mine!!  Our Mum worked in a pub so brought all the old singles home from the juke box… each week there were new records added to our collection, all without centres of course! In those days (oh I sound old, 1973 I am referring to), singles stayed in the charts for a few weeks, so we had lots of records available to us!  My fondest memories are of my Mum singing to the radio in the kitchen whilst preparing our tea… or on a Sunday whilst the Roast was being prepared.  My Mum loved her music and has been a huge influence on  my music tastes… I still go all gooey listening to 70’s tracks from the likes of the Drifters or the Stylistics.  There was a temporary teacher at my junior school who used to be a music teacher but he was also my form teacher for around 6 months, his influences would have a massive impact on my choice of listening.  Picture this, I was 10 and sat in the classroom, the teacher put an album on the record player and hit play.  I picked up the beautiful orange album cover, listened to the incredible voice emanating from the player and knew I would love this artist for ever.  I rushed home from school and told Mum that I had heard the most beautiful song today and started singing it to her… ‘isnt she lovely’ by Stevie Wonder, will always be one of those top 5 favourite tracks of mine.  I bought that album many years later and have had it in every format going.  ‘Songs in the key of life’ has many stunning timeless tracks by Stevie… my regret is that I have never had the opportunity to see him live.”

Stevie Wonder  was credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians  across all genres including Rhythm and Blues, Pop, Soul Gospel, Funk and Jazz, but what is Jans favourite genre of music and are there any new genres she has taken a keen liking to?

“Disco is my favourite probably… but it is almost Impossible to answer it quickly!  I love voices and I love to dance so if the two meet then I’m hooked.  From Motown and Northern Soul, Soul and RnB, Disco and Funk too.  I got lost a bit during the 90;s but House Music has grown on me over the last 10 years or so, particularly Funky House and Nu Disco, I love how those classic disco tracks are celebrated in these genres in some brilliant mashup covers.   My Groove Lounge show represents all my loves in music!”

ahhh yes! The Groove Lounge, since Jan joined Ngage Radio she has put together some great shows for our listeners. The Love Lounge, The Groove Lounge, The Dopamine Lounge and recently this week celebrating International Womens Day, Jan did a special edition of the Groove Lounge titled ‘International Divas’ where Jan played some incredible songs from the worlds most iconic female singers including the powerful voices of Whitney, Mariah and Tina Turner.  So we put the ultimate question to JAN. Which Lounge do you love the most!

“Ooooo it’s tricky and it honestly changes from week to week! I love all the opportunities given to me, I never realised It’d feel so natural but as the weeks go on I am feeling more relaxed and not planning so heavily because the shoes flow along nicely with so much interaction. The groove lounge feels like a complete indulgence for the music I love to hear … but I LOVED the pop up Dopamine Lounge we did! With lots of teamwork we pulled a playlist together and it was exciting being spontaneous and playing the tunes that the audience want to hear. Look forward to more pop up Dopamine Lounges … this almost 57 year old ain’t too old for dance music!!

At 57 years old, how exactly did Jan feel when she was approached to be a part of the team here at Ngage Radio?

“Couldn’t believe it!  I have been a follower of Danny and Neil before they started their own station, and was excited to see their station develop as a listener.  I fully respect their business ethos of being completely inclusive and fully engaged with their listeners.  Danny and I had a chat and he suggested that I do a late night love show, play tunes and chat (replicating what I did on TikTok).  I have no other experience in presenting and certainly do not consider myself to be a DJ, but it feels great to share what I love to do (talk and play music) and for others to enjoy that too!”

A lot of people that have listened in to Jan are really surprised to find out that Jan had no prior radio experience before she joined the team. Her calm soothing voice on the airwaves and her knowledge of music is fabulous but how did Jan feel moments before her very first show went live?

“I don’t get nervous, it rarely happens… but I don’t mind telling you that I have never felt as nervous as I did prior to pressing ‘broadcast”

Jans first show was well loved by all our listeners, sending in their texts of messages of support as they do to all our DJs and presenters but how has Jan found the support and guidance from the Ngage team?

‘The boys’ who are Presenters and DJs are an incredible team  with an abundance of skills and experience.  Gentlemen who don’t mind this old bird butting in with zero experience of something that they have done for many years.. even the youngsters have offered their help and support and I’m very proud to be part of a brilliant team of people.  A special shoutout should go out to Reece, he’s an IT genius, a brilliant DJ and a top lad … and he’s only 13!!  I have to remind the boys frequently that they are talking in a language I don’t understand… they are all patient and fun to work with.  ‘The girls’, our Social Media Managers are amazing.. Shelly Anne’s suggestion to bring me on board made this happen and I cant thank her enough for considering me.  Emma and Shelly Anne are brilliant at everything they do, creative and fun, tenacious and resourceful… and are also brilliant at sounding out your ideas to.  They happen to be top friends too, I want to adopt them and take Emma’s name too… Jan Love works doesn’t it?

You just know what I’m going to write next Jan don’t you? ….. I’m the favourite though right?

Jan has done amazingly well since she has joined the Team, she works hard behind the scenes in preparation for her live shows as well as making sure she brings a little bit of ‘jan’.  Her previous interest of talking about her dating chronicles led to the idea for her show name ‘The Love Lounge’ which is a big hit with our listeners, she told us more about the inspiration behind the show and what it means to her?

“Who doesn’t love to listen to love songs… it crosses genres and eras and is perfect in its late slot.  Its inspired by Graham Torringtons ‘late night love’ show.  I love it, I can honestly say it’s the best hobby I have ever had.  The feedback would suggest that people love to listen to me and that my voice suits radio, why did I not work this out before!!  One of my mantras is to ‘seek joy in every day and if you cant find the joy, be the joy’.  Hopefully the joy I feel when I am presenting is felt by the listeners and gives others joy in their everyday too!”

At 57 years old this is a hobby that this time last year if you had told her she would be doing she probably wouldn’t of believed you.  Jan shares many ADHD traits with myself and openly talks about these as well. One of these is starting multiple hobbies and never finishing them largely due to getting bored very easily and we move onto something else. So Jan will agree. This is by far the longest hobby Jan has had!

What advice would Jan give to somebody thinking about starting a brand new hobby, venture or career?

“Take a risk, I did and its payoff is almost indescribable… 6 days after I spoke to Danny about the possibility I was broadcasting! If NGAGE approach you, then they see something in you that they want on their station and being part of that team is exciting and fulfilling.”

We love having you as a part of the team as well!

 

As i mentioned before Jan was previously talking about Dating Chronicles on her social media platform before she came to Ngage Radio. Tell our listeners more about Dating Chronicles!

“So I’ve been single now for two years, embarking on the whole dating game again around 12 months ago.

Dating sites are a nightmare literally, I have so many funny stories, unbelievable stories and experiences and just thought they would entertain people… and they did.  My tiktok profile has grown because of it and look at me, I’m on the radio!!!  Trying to incorporate the Dating Chronicles into my radio show without boring the listeners though… do they really want to hear about my dating disasters!!!

Your hair colour is iconic! Tell us how this iconic look came about?

“I started going grey at the age of 22, a few grey hairs that my hairdresser covered up with tint to match my brunette hair… wind forward 28 years and I decide that I should really stop dying my hair brunette, for all I knew I was completely grey underneath all the tint!  I then decided that transition should start with me being blonde, I loved sassy blonde Jan!!!  Then lockdown happened and I couldn’t visit my hairdresser every 4 weeks so my transition moved on a pace!  Only as the colour receded and the true colour started to reveal itself did I realise I had a very white streak at the front, the rest a silvery grey… known as ‘a Mallen Streak’ and I love it until I am referred to as Cruella de Ville!!   I get more compliments on my hair now than I ever did being brunette or blonde, I love it”

We love the hair colour Jan!!

Do you have any  fun facts about yourself that our listeners would be surprised to hear?

“I was born with a big strawberry birth mark… on my bum!!  Is that a fun fact… I cant think of anything more interesting!  Oh hang on…  I’m a self-diagnosed sufferer of ADHD, except I don’t suffer it, I celebrate it.  Short attention span, random thoughts, spontaneous, risk taker, it has some negative traits like I am rubbish at finishing projects off at work!!  But one of my skills is quick arithmetic, my siblings used to call me ‘calculator’ as I was always the one doing the scores whilst they all got to play darts!! I’m that person that quickly converts travel currency into GBP whilst on holiday too!!”

We have absolutely loved sitting down with Jan to bring you Spotlight Sunday but we couldn’t let ger go without those quickfire fun questions!

Favourite schnickety Schnacks? Nice n Spicy Nik Naks and Mint Aero Bubbles!

Favourite tipple? Gin n Tonic… I have a huge collection of Gins!

Favourite singer? We know it’s Luther, just humour us 😂  Of course its Luther Vandross … since 1981’s ‘Never too much’ I have been hooked.  Was lucky enough to have seen him live 3 times before he died.

Favourite radio station? 😂 NGAGE, as if you even had to ask!!

Don’t forget you can catch Jan on Thursdays at 8pm in The Love Lounge and then into the weekend on Saturday at 4pm in The Groove Lounge.

You can catch Jan on TikTok  as well as catching up with all our shows at Ngage Radio by listening to them again on MIXCLOUD