13 October 2026
Tea Break Tour with Mike Toolan
Tea Break Tour is all about the people behind our brands. Every show, every story and every connection with our audiences starts with a person and this series is a chance to pause, put the kettle on and get to know the people who bring Bauer to life. From audio and publishing to teams across the wider business, Tea Break Tour is a chance to hear the stories and moments you don’t always get when the mic is live or the day gets busy.
This time, Hits Radio’s Mike Toolan takes us on his Tea Break Tour in Manchester. Mike tells us why tea tastes better up north, what it’s like working with his ‘best mate’ and co-host Gemma Atkinson and what really goes on behind the mic. He also reveals the rather unexpected time he appeared in The Godfather Part III and shares his favourite tea break snacks.
First things first, does a cup of tea taste better up north?
Do you know, honestly, I think it does. I think tea up here is brewed with honesty and with proper rainwater. It’s 70% tea, 30% grit – that’s how I like my tea.
If you had to describe your Hits Radio show in three words, what would they be?
Friendship with microphones.
What’s the best thing about doing your national radio show live from Manchester?
Manchester is incredible. I’m originally an Essex boy, but I came up here and was absolutely blown away by how great it is.
There’s a real honesty about Mancunians as well. If you say something on air and it’s rubbish, by the time you’ve got to the end of the next song, about 12 people have told you so and I love that.
And, of course, a flat white doesn’t cost you £9 a cup. It helps.
What’s it like working with your co-host Gemma Atkinson?
Gemma and I have been friends since we did a panto together years ago at the Manchester Opera House. She played Peter Pan and I played Pirate Number Three.
It’s true! And we’ve been friends ever since. We’re like best mates, so it’s great fun.
Gemma is honestly the sweetest, kindest, funniest 12-year-old boy I’ve ever met. She’s the proper alpha male. She farts, she burps, she puts her feet up on the desk, she swears like a navvy and she’s an incredible amount of fun every day.
What’s one thing people would be surprised to hear happens behind the mic at Hits Radio?
We dance, genuinely. If there’s a throwback we’re playing that we really like, we dance.
There’s also an enormous amount of fruity language that goes on. Even Matt, our producer, has a little recorder which, if ever the energy gets low, he plays a tune on. And when I say tune, I mean one really loud, annoying, shrill note.
But generally, there’s a really good vibe in the studio when the songs are playing, and I think that reflects on air as well.
What do you love most about doing your show?
It’s just enormous amounts of fun. It’s three people in a room who are really good friends, genuinely, who are all mucking about together.
There’s no pretence with it and there’s no forced friendship. We’ve all known each other for years, we sit in a little room together and genuinely just make each other laugh for three hours a day.
What’s been the proudest moment in your radio career so far?
Probably the proudest moment in my career ever was when I hosted the Manchester United 1999 Treble winners’ homecoming party.
I didn’t know how big it was going to be. It was at Manchester Arena, they’d just won the Treble in Barcelona and I came back and hosted this thing at the Arena. It was live on ITV and I didn’t even know I was doing it until that morning.
Being a big United fan, that was probably my proudest ever moment.
What’s one thing your listeners might not know about you?
I was an extra in The Godfather Part III.
I was in America at the time, in the summer of 1991 and we walked past a crowd scene. Francis Ford Coppola was standing there, I recognised him and then Nicolas Cage was dressed as a priest. I thought, ‘What the hell is going on here?’
I managed to chat to one of the production assistants and they let me and my mate just walk up and down in the background of the scene.
So I’m in the Godfather movies.
Finally, what’s your perfect tea break snack?
Anything that anyone else brings in, because three calories don’t count.
When it comes to snacks, I’ve very much got the biscuit taste of an ugly lady. I love fig rolls and custard creams. I know, it’s not cool.
