Ali B Leaves Capital Radio

London breaks star Ali B has announced he's to quitting his weekly Capital Radio show in December exactly five years after he started presenting his Friday night show in 1999.

The Fabric resident nowadays also runs his own Air record label and events company and said this week he felt his Capital commitment was beginning to hold him back.

"It's clear that I need to spend more time touring and concentrating on my production activities - having a weekly show has always prevented me from doing that," Ali said this week "It was a very difficult decision to make, as the station have supported me throughout."

Chatting to Skrufff two years ago, Ali admitted the station had hired him as a virtual unknown, after a club promoter recommended him as an up and coming dance DJ.

"I got a phone call from Richard Parks (then Capital chief, though nowadays better known as a Fame Academy TV talent spotter), he left me a message saying he'd like me to come and talk to him, completely out of the blue," he recalled.

"That was it. I had no other radio experience other than sitting in for Rennie Pilgrim occasionally on Jazz FM and doing the odd club thing for GLR (local BBC London radio). So I came into Capital completely cold," he said.

Over the next five years his profile increased dramatically and both at Capital and elsewhere as he even got to know the station's daytime stars including Dr Fox and Chris Tarrant (who's also now departed).

"Bizarrely, I got a Christmas card from Chris Tarrant," Ali admitted.

"That's when you know you've arrived, getting a Christmas card from Tarrant. And it wasn't even a photocopied signature either."

Ali will be dedicating more time to his Air events, Air Recordings label, gigs, and artist releases, his press agent said.
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