About

Chances are, you’ll know the slightly Scottish voice of Charles Nove from somewhere.  He’s been around UK national and local Radio and Television programmes and commercials for more than 40 years.

Charles began his broadcasting life as a Hospital Radio volunteer in Glasgow, before being signed-up, back in 1978, as the BBC’s youngest full-time Presenter, for the launch of their new station, Radio Scotland.

In 1981, he was invited to move to London to join BBC Radio 2 as a Newsreader & Presenter. His programming engagements there included Nightride and the weekly film magazine Cinema 2.

From 1989 onwards, Charles pursued a varied freelance career. His Commercial Radio work has included presentation for London’s Magic 105.4, Jazz FM, Oneword Digital, and Saga Radio in Glasgow, while back at BBC Radio 2 from 2007, Charles became one of the team gamely dodging the flying sausages and airy banter of the UK’s favourite breakfast show, Wake Up to Wogan

On Television, Charles has worked on a wide range of programmes, including Variety Club Awards, UK Dance Championships, World Circus Championships, The Lord Mayor’s Show, Big Break, The National Lottery and the legendary Bruce Forsyth edition of Have I Got News For You.

He’s proud to have been associated with the world’s longest-running musical television series, Come Dancing, clocking up 12 years as the show’s Commentator/Co-Presenter, alongside David Jacobs, Angela Rippon and Rosemarie Ford.

Known as a useful and versatile man to have around in a crisis, Charles was an obvious choice for the BBC’s crack “Y2K” team of Millennium Bug busters, who were on duty in a bunker as the year 2000 arrived, poised for action if the dreaded bug bit. It didn’t. So they opened the Champagne like everyone else!

During the 2002 Commonwealth Games, Charles was part of the team providing commentary for the international feeds of the Shooting events.

You may also have heard those familiar tones voicing programme trailers and promotions on a range of channels, or perhaps during spells as a Continuity Announcer on BBC 1, BBC 2 and The History Channel, hosting in-flight audio entertainment shows for the world’s leading airlines, or being your amiable audio tour guide around some of the world’s finest Museums and Art Galleries, including collections at Buckingham Palace, Tate Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, the Louvre, Pompidou Centre, the famous historic Abbey on Iona, the museum in Belgium devoted to Tintin creator, Herge, and the European Solidarity Centre in Gdansk . Fans of the Finnish melodic heavy-metal band Nightwish were tantalised by a series of videos and a television documentary, all voiced by Charles, ahead of the release of their album, Endless Forms Most Beautiful. Hot on the heels of that came a call from German power-metal band Powerwolf to narrate their latest promotional documentary. Meanwhile, the clever YouTubers EpicHistory.tv have been making use of Charles to narrate their expanding collection of fine videos.

When BBC Local Radio came calling, Charles answered with 5 years talking Religion and Ethics on the Sunday Breakfast show at BBC Radio Oxford, plus occasional appearances on the BBC stations in Devon, Derby and Leicester.   BBC Radio Oxford then became Charles’ weekday radio home, starting each new day with music and a good old blether about matters arising, until the end of 2018.    

A whole new broadcasting adventure began in March 2019 – Monday to Friday from 7am til 10am, Charles hosts the Breakfast Show on the national digital radio station from Bauer Media, Scala Radio, playing an accessible blend of classical music, across the UK.

In addition to his voicing and presenting work, Charles was the boss of A1 VOX the London sound studios.  Sadly, that business did not survive the Covid pandemic, but Charles still undertakes all sorts of audio challenges – and if he can’t do it, he’ll know someone who can!