SIXTY
SECOND
THERAPIST
STYLIST ’S LIFE COACH,
LISA MERRICK-LAWLESS,
SCRUTINISES
ONE CELEBRITY
PSYCHE
What makes
DJ Annie
Mac tick?
The Radio 1 DJ, 31, on confidence,
her critics and being happy with her
body image
You travel extensively with your job
and are DJing for Radio 1 in Ibiza
again this summer. Your schedule
must be hectic…
It is. I go away a lot but I really like to
travel. It can be anything from an
eight-hour trip to an eight-day trip
and it’s a mini-adventure every time.
Sometimes I fly out at 10pm on a
Thursday night, land at 1am then I’m
on the decks at 2am until 4am or 5am
before getting the 10am flight home.
How do you sustain that lifestyle?
I tend to work from Thursdays to
Mondays so Tuesdays and Wednesdays
are my weekends, when I try to get my
body clock back in order. I’ll go to bed
early, get up early, exercise and eat
well. I went through a phase in my
mid-20s when I wasn’t so happy with
46 WWW.STYLIST.CO.UK
INSTANT LIFE COACH: TURN YOUR PASSION INTO A CAREER
Music runs through Annie’s blood and she’s clearly
fulfilled by making a living out of something she
loves. Turning your passion into a career can have
a very positive effect on your well-being because
essentially you’re spending the best part of your
time being paid for something you’d normally do
for free. Drawing a mind-map can help you figure
out if there is a tangible career you can create
from your hobby. First, draw a circle in the
middle of a sheet of paper, then make a spider
diagram with the following arms:
my body so I stopped drinking beer
and started exercising. These days
I drink alcohol just once a week because
I love the feeling of being strong and fit.
You were hosting your own show for
Radio 1 at the age of 25 and now
juggle two regular radio shows with
TV presenting and DJing. What does
work mean to you?
I love my job and feel blessed I can
do something I enjoy. Grimmy [Nick
Grimshaw, with whom Annie copresents
on Radio 1 on Sunday nights]
turned up for work in a really foul
mood recently but after the show he
was really cheered up. We were talking
about how lovely it is that your job
can do that – it’s rare. I’m aware that
I need to slow down, though. The trait
I really deplore in myself is my lack of
patience – I don’t finish one thing
before I start the next.
You’re regularly broadcasting to
audiences of a million people. Does
confidence come easily to you?
I think confidence comes with feeling
that you’re worthy of being where
you are. I started as a club DJ and
was thrown in at the deep end –
initially I felt like I wasn’t good
enough, but you learn and grow and
then you don’t care if you mess up
SKILLS
Under this heading, write down everything you
think you’re really good at, or better at than most
people. It can be anything from practical skills like
writing, to instilling confidence in others. Ask
family and friends for help.
EXPERIENCE
List any areas you have specialist knowledge in.
For example, you have an economics degree, or
speak a second language. It doesn’t necessarily
have to be something you enjoy.
ANNIE MAC SAYS THAT MAKING
A LIVING FROM HER PASSION IS
WHAT MAKES HER HAPPY
something. I covered for Fearne
Cotton a few weeks ago and that
was the first time I’d felt really nervous
in a while.
Do you take criticism well? What’s
the worst thing someone’s said
about you?
People have said to me in the past
that I can be too harsh. I think I can
be a bit straight-to-the-point
sometimes, and maybe I need to
think more before I speak.
What’s been your biggest personal
disappointment?
I didn’t get into drama college when
I was 17 and that really upset me. I was
so gutted I cut all my hair off, bleached
it blonde and got a nose ring! I then
moved to Belfast to do an English
literature degree... it was my way of
making sure I got over it quickly [laughs].
Where do you see yourself in
10 years’ time?
Hopefully with a family [Annie lives
in London with her boyfriend, fellow
Radio 1 DJ, Toddla T – real name Tom
Bell]. I’d definitely like one or two
kids but if that happened I don’t think
I could carry on DJing. It would be very
hard to be a mum and come home at
six in the morning. I guess the ideal
would be my own daily radio show.
I look at Jo Whiley, raising four kids
and having such a brilliant career, and
I think she does it very well.
Annie will be broadcasting from BBC Radio
1’s Ibiza Weekend, 6-7 August. For more
info about live music on Radio 1 this
summer visit bbc.co.uk/radio1
Lisa Merrick-
Lawless is
Stylist’s therapist
and founder
of Headspace
(thehead
space.co.uk).
PASSIONS
Which things give you the greatest sense of
happiness? It could be an activity like baking or
surfing, or small things you get a buzz out of, like
organising, or making your own decisions.
Now think about jobs that draw together all the
things you have listed and write them into the blank
space in the middle. For example, if you love horses
and have experience working in a hotel reception
and like making your own decisions, you could set
up your own horse-riding business.
WORDS: DIANA BEST PHOTOGRAPHY: BBC.CO.UK
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