BY: DM
Published 2 hours ago
Liverpool-born queer TikTok star Charley Marlowe is bringing all the energy to BBC Radio 1 this summer. The BBC tapped Marlowe after watching her explode online, where her TikToks — equal parts comedy, queerness, and chaos — have earned her nearly 700,000 followers and more than 45 million likes. Her content, rooted in sharp humor and realness, quickly made her a digital favorite. But her voice didn’t stop at viral clips. It carried her straight into prime-time TV and now, national radio.
Marlowe broke out as the narrator of “I Kissed A Girl,” the UK’s first lesbian dating show. Her voiceovers didn’t just explain what was happening — they gave the show its soul. “This has been a dream job for me,” she told the BBC. “Not only getting to voiceover a show which is something I’ve NEVER done before, but the show being the queerest thing I’ve ever seen…double whammy!”
That project didn’t just cement her status as a rising star — it set her apart. Listeners didn’t just hear her. They felt her. The BBC clearly took note.
Charley Marlowe is BBC Radio’s newest star.
BBC Radio 1 wanted to shake things up this summer by giving the mic to fresher, more diverse talent. When the team began curating voices for their summer lineup, Marlowe’s name popped up fast. “I am absolutely buzzing to be taking over the Friday Early Breakfast show in August. “I will be playing as much Jane McDonald and Kylie Minogue as the BBC allows,” Marlowe joked. “Otherwise, you can expect anything from a show tune to Madonna. At least the chaos and confusion will wake you up, so I’ll see you at 5 am.”
Marlowe has stepped beyond TV and TikTok, hosting the red carpet for major events like the BAFTAs and leading her own Prime Video digital series, “Only New Questions.” She is also developing an original podcast focused on queer dating and identity, where she’ll explore the topics mainstream media tends to overlook.
Charley Marlowe has become a viral queer icon.
Marlowe has built a strong audience, and her fans can’t get enough of her antics. She’s building a media empire, brick by brick — and she’s doing it without compromising her voice. Marlowe has even opened up about her personal life. She came out to her mom in 2019 with a picture of her girlfriend on her phone.
“I came out to my parents only in 2019, I think they suspected it. I kept handing my mum my phone, and there was a picture of me and my then-girlfriend on the screen,” Marlowe revealed during an appearance on the “Table Manners” podcast. “Then it was fine after that. But yeah, we don’t really talk too much about feelings.”
She also revealed she met her current partner through Instagram. “She said I looked like Jane McDonald, and I was like, click—instantly obsessed,” Marlowe added. Now, the couple lives together and continues to support each other as Marlowe’s career skyrockets.
How important is it to have openly queer voices like Charley’s on mainstream platforms like BBC? Comment below!
