Up close with Free Radio breakfast show hosts Dan Kelly and Naomi Kent on why it’s a woman’s world, eating a roast at 10am, loving smoothies – and who cooks the best chicken in Brum…

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF

DK: I live in a world of girls – my wife, my daughter aged four, another little girl on the way AND my radio wife, Naomi. I get told off a lot!

NK: Waking up the city each morning is wonderful, if a little scatty with Dan!

HOW DO YOU GET INTO TOWN?

DK: The studio is in Brindleyplace, just a two-mile drive away for me.

NK: Home for me is Leicester, so it’s M1, M69, M6, A38, breathing a sigh of relief when I get to work on time – hopefully!

HOW’S THE COMMUTE?

DK: At 5am it’s the easiest drive I’ll ever have. I see the same four cars every morning at Five Ways roundabout.

NK: Same for me. At the time we start work it’s as quiet as a mouse.

IS BRUM A GOOD PLACE TO WORK IN?

DK: Yes it is. I’ve been here on and off since I was 18. I’ve worked for four different radio stations, all based on Broad Street and there’s not a bar on the strip I’ve not DJ’d at.

NK: I love working here. Brummies are a welcoming bunch for outsiders like me and there’s always something going on – shows, markets, and so many incredible food places. I was at uni here, so have lots of good memories.

COFFEE BREAK?

DK: January to November, somewhere in Brindleyplace within walking distance of the studios. December, it’s something from the German market.

NK: I’m a bit of a smoothie fiend, so Joe & The Juice at Grand Central is a fave. It’s an amazing people-watching spot, too.

LUNCHTIME?

DK: Lunchtime for me is around 10am – so I’ll be scoffing a full roast dinner in the office while the people working regular hours are tucking into their bran flakes. If I’m going out, it’s Semedo’s in the Jewellery Quarter. They cook the best chicken in Birmingham.

NK: Convenience wins in the week so it’s Eat in Brindleyplace. At the weekend I love a JuJu’s brunch by the canal.

POWERWALKING?

DK: The gym – Nuffield health at Five Ways. Or Edgbaston Reservoir where I’ll give the ducks a race around the perimeter.

NK: I love a walk round the canals and Mailbox. I spent most of my student loan in the Mailbox!

WHERE’S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE CITY?

DK: St Pauls Square in the JQ. A beautiful and quiet part of Birmingham with the city skyline in the background. It also has some of the city’s best places to eat and drink.

NK: Edgbaston Reservoir. My mate lives overlooking the reservoir and it’s beautiful to wake up to, if you ignore the sound of rowdy geese!

HOW CAN THE CITY BE MADE BETTER?

DK: I wouldn’t be against keeping the Frankfurt Christmas Market in town all year. I would like to try it out in the summer when you don’t have to wear five layers of clothes!

NK: What would make Birmingham a better place for me? Move it a bit closer to Leicester! Otherwise, we’re all good…