Afghanistan trip for Smooth’s Simon Bates

Smooth Radio’s breakfast show with Simon Bates is to be broadcast live from Camp Bastion in Afghanistan next week.

We’re told the show will deliver Christmas messages from soldiers to loved ones back home as well as capture the spirit, camaraderie and difficulties experienced by those on the front line.

Simon, who has previously broadcast from a war zone in Iraq, will also be exploring what the future holds for Afghanistan as coalition forces look to handover control to the Afghan National Army, with a particular focus on the British role in the south of the country.

He said: “Christmas is always a difficult time of year for serving troops and we hope that by taking the show out to Afghanistan we will both highlight the incredible work British soldiers are doing day-in-day-out and provide a link between them and life back home.”

Parent company GMG Radio has raised £750,000 for the Help for Heroes charity through its fundraising appeals over the last three years. Smooth Radio Programme Director Steve Collins told us: “Our audience has shown incredible support for British servicemen and women so we are once again pushing the boundaries of commercial radio with a whole week of live broadcasts from the front line. We’re looking forward to providing some festive cheer to the troops and their families back home.”