A marathon interview on Somer Valley FM lasting more than 31 hours has raised over £2,200 for charity and put the station in line for a Guinness World Record for the longest radio interview.
Presenter Jamie Skinner interviewed actor and BillyChip co-founder Megan “Meg” Abernethy-Hope live on air from 9am on Saturday 12 September until the afternoon of Sunday 13 September, broadcasting continuously through the night from the station’s Midsomer Norton studios.
The existing Guinness World Record for the longest radio interview stands at 30 hours and 25 minutes, set by Tumaini Mwenesi and Nickson Minja in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in November 2024. Jamie is preparing the final submission, and the record cannot be claimed until Guinness World Records confirms it.
Money raised is being split evenly between two charities chosen by the pair. Meg picked the homelessness charity she co-founded in memory of her late brother, Billy. Its £2 tokens can be bought and given to someone sleeping rough, then exchanged for a hot drink or food at participating outlets. Jamie chose youth mental health charity Beyond, which works directly in schools.
“Their work revolves around listening and understanding,” Jamie said. “This is the kind of work I wish I’d known about, and had access to, when I was a teenager and going through particularly difficult times mentally.”
For Meg, the attempt was personal. “Billy loved looking through the Guinness World Record Book as a kid, so when Jamie called, the answer was an immediate yes because Billy would never get the chance to do this,” she said. “Speaking about my mental health and BillyChip in that much depth is something I’ve never done before. Billy, I hope I’ve done you proud. This one is for you, kiddo.”
She admitted the small hours were the hardest. With six and a half hours still to go at 8am on the Sunday, it was messages from family and friends, along with the studio team, that kept her going.
Behind the scenes, Pete Helmore and Matt Ribbins kept the live broadcast on air throughout. Guinness rules meant the independent witnesses monitoring the attempt could not be station volunteers or relatives of the participants. Local people responded to a call for help and enough came forward to cover every one of the 31 hours.
Dom Chambers, founder and executive director of Somer Valley FM, said: “This was a really tough challenge, and what elevates it to the outstanding is that they were giving listeners quality, engaging conversation right up to the 31st hour. Being a voice for the benefit of the community is exactly what we had in mind when we first went on air 20 years ago. What a great success this has been. All credit and thanks to Jamie and Meg for such a spirited endeavour, and to everyone who supported them behind the scenes.”
Donations remain open at www.givewheel.com/fundraising/19847
