Ashdown Radio DJ, Ryan Millns, hosted a radio show for 28-hours non-stop, raising more than £2,000 for the hospice. We spoke to him about why he did it and if it was hard to stay awake.

Why did you want to do the non-stop radio show?

I have been suffering from a rare auto immune disease since 2017 and suffered from a major stroke in 2019 at the age of 39. Part of my care was undertaken by St Wilfrid’s Hospice and I wanted to be able to give something back.

How did you come up with the idea?

Back in 2020, through Covid lockdown, I was unable to leave the house due to being classified at clinically vulnerable. This meant that I was also unable to present my daily radio show. I came up with the idea back then to become the first radio presenter to present on 24 radio stations in 24 hours, which I achieved. After speaking to some of the team at Ashdown Radio, we collectively agreed that it was time to do something bigger for St Wilfrid’s Hospice and the rest is history!

How did you keep yourself awake?

I was worried about this on the lead-up to the show but once I was on air, I actually found it fairly easy. The show was full of live interviews and various people coming in which helped keep me motivated.

Were your listeners supportive?

Since I became unwell, I’ve never kept it from my listeners. I’ve always been open and honest about it. I truly believe that I have the best listeners in the world! They are always very kind and supportive.

Did it make you want to eat constantly?

No, in fact it didn’t. I had a nutritionist come in as a guest, who bought some sesame seed and peanut butter balls with her. They were a great source of energy! My colleague Rachael was kind enough to spend 9 hours in the studio with me overnight and supplied me with lots of goodies!

How much did you raise?

The total raised for St Wilfrid’s Hospice was £2110.75.