Will Nick Grimshaw be a Radio 1 success?

Nick Grimshaw announced his arrival in the most high-profile job in radio today and promised to be his own man – as he follows in the footsteps of some larger than life characters.

The 28-year-old took the helm at the BBC Radio 1 breakfast show for the first time from 6.30am and told listeners: "I'm going to be with you for I don't know how long really – until the country uprises and I get thrown back to the night-time."

Introducing himself first by his full name, and then by his nickname 'Grimmy', the presenter kicked off his show with Paris by Jay-Z and Kanye West and revealed he had not agonised over his choice.

"Everyone was making a big deal of the first song, but I was like 'is it that big a deal?' The job's a big deal," he said.

"That song is what I want this show to be like, music wise – pop, but good pop."

Predecessor Chris Moyles had made a typically bullish entry, playing Pink's God Is A DJ when he started the slot. "That's an amazing choice for the saviour," Grimshaw said.

Moyles will be a tough act for Grimshaw to follow, having turned around the fortunes of the breakfast show since taking over from Sara Cox eight years ago.

At the peak of his success 7.9 million people tuned in to the 38-year-old and his team of sidekicks, including Comedy Dave. While critics branded Moyles a loudmouth whose humour was unsophisticated, his talents were appreciated by loyal listeners who embraced his passionate on-air persona.

By the end of Moyles' tenure audiences had dipped to 7.1m – well below rival and former breakfast show host Chris Evans on Radio 2. The challenge facing 'Grimmy' is to attract younger listeners in Radio 1's target 15-to-29 audience, but commentators widely expect ratings to fall further before stabilising.

If Grimshaw was apprehensive about the scale of his task, he was putting a brave face on it today while also delivering an endearing line in self-effacing humour.

"I could have started with Madness by Muse today, or All Time Low," he joked.

"But there we go, it's started – is that the hard bit out of the way? I think it's going to be fun from here on in."

As expected the new breakfast show was all about Grimshaw today, with station boss Ben Cooper having ordered a departure from Moyles' at times chaotic format in which his production team played a large part.

But Grimshaw also resisted the temptation to hog the mic, instead making fairly brief conversation between tracks. He is expected to double the amount of music played on the landmark show.

Known for his posse of celebrity pals including Lily Allen, Alexa Chung, Miquita Oliver and Harry Styles from One Direction, Grimshaw was a surprise choice to many.

Drive-time show host Greg James was expected to be the next breakfast host but instead Grimshaw landed his dream job.

The presenter was raised in Royton, Oldham, and took his first steps as a broadcaster in student radio while at Liverpool University.

He worked at MTV and Channel 4 before co-hosting the BBC2 music show Sound with DJ Annie Mac, and his swift rise continued when he picked up a slot on Radio 1.

His latest job marks a meteoric rise to the top of his profession, and Grimshaw has admitted he was shocked when he heard he would replace Moyles having been at university just 10 years ago.

Bosses will be hoping Grimshaw does not hit the headlines for the wrong reasons, like many of his predecessors in the role.

Most notorious of the lot was arguably Chris Evans, whose turbulent tenure from 1995 to 1997 was dogged by controversy.

Despite criticism over innuendo-laden features such as Honk Your Horn and In Bed With Your Girlfriend, Evans put on 600,000 new listeners over Steve Wright. The show's highest listening figure reached 7.5m.

Evans' first big falling-out with management came in December 1995 after taking his crew out on a 17 hour pub-crawl which ended two hours before they were due on air.

Ratings

From there his behaviour deteriorated, Evans first taking an extra week of unplanned holiday and then demanding a 7am start after turning up half-an-hour late for a show. His request was granted.

However, after more publicised public drinking and self-confessed illness, Evans' spell at the station ended in January 1997 when he quit after his demand not to host the show on Friday was not accepted.

Mark and Lard, a.k.a. Mark Radcliffe and Marc Riley, took over but ratings plummeted and Evans asked to return.

He was denied but chiefs did replace the duo with the relatively unknown Kevin Greening and the well known children's TV presenter Zoë Ball in October 1997.

There were echoes of Evans' stormy period at the breakfast show when Ball pulled an all-nighter in Ibiza and only just made it to the studio in time.

Grimshaw vows there will be no repeat. "As long as I can get to bed by 11 I will be OK – about six hours' sleep should be enough for me."

That will be music to his bosses' ears.