Alex Jay on meeting Madiba, having a ‘face for radio’ & being replaced by robots!

Radio veteran Alex Jay is the kind of guy your mom and dad will probably remember listening to, but after 35 years in the radio game, the star isn't ready to call it quits - even if the thought of robots one day replacing DJs scares the sh*t out of him.

Alex recently scored a new gig at Jacaranda FM, hosting weekend shows and Monday to Friday transmissions to Limpopo and Mpumalanga.

We got a minute to chat to the legend to reflect on his career and the future.

Congrats on the new gig! How do you feel?

I am extremely excited to be employed again. There is nothing like being on the periphery for a while to make you feel like a really low down scumbag. It is great though. I am excited to be a part of a great team. With the move to digital in a few years time, I think the radio landscape will change a lot. There will be new stations and the realignment of existing ones, so I want to be involved in that.

The move to digital could see humans replaced by robots though?

It's scary, but there is a big difference between robots driving cars and robots making informed comments. But with AI (Artificial Intelligence) you never know. I will need AI to figure out how I am going to pay for the AI that will one day drive me to studio.

You know, they make some pretty good looking robots nowaday, it could put an end to this whole "face for radio" nonsense.

I have been told that so many times and I absolutely know that. I never said: 'Hey, look at this sexy body, look at this sexy face'. I know I have big eyebrows. I know I have big ears. I was there for visual entertainment. For sweeping beauty there are beauty queens. 

So you might not play the lead role in a film with those looks but what would a trailer for a film about your life include?

It would definitely include meeting Mandela. I met him with other music executives a week after he was released from prison. We were at his house in Soweto and no one knew what to expect. We stood up and I got a nudge from the late Ray Phiri. Here I was, the friggin white kid with long hair and a bizarre earring, putting my hand out to greet him. He said 'Oh! Go away' and gave me a huge bear hug instead. It set the tone and it was very emotional.

You started on the midnight shift on 702, did you ever fall asleep?

Not even once. I always tried to keep it lively.

So, what is the most embarrassing thing that's happened to you on air?

I have said stupid things but I can often laugh it off. The most cringe-worthy moment was when I was interviewing Duran Duran and I asked them what their song UMF meant. Lead singer Simon Le Bon said: 'Don't be daft. It means unbelievable mind f*ck'. It was a live broadcast and there were school kids everywhere. I winced on behalf of all the parents.

And the most emotional?

I cried on air when Mandela died. 947 called me and I was on standby. I did an hour and I was crying for an entire hour. I was sad, broken hearted and lamenting the loss of a great man. Anele came on to replace me and she was filled with life. It was a lesson to me.