Blunt banned

A radio station has banned James Blunt from its playlist – because their listeners are sick of hearing his music.

Essex FM have been flooded with requests to take James’ hits You’re Beautiful and Goodbye My Lover off the airwaves.

Programme controller Chris Cotton said: "We don’t have anything against James Blunt and we’re pleased he has been so successful, but we really need a break. While his songs have been very popular, there is a tremendous amount of industry pressure to play certain artists frequently. Often this can be out of step with the audience’s tastes, which results in songs being overplayed."

"We’re happy to stand up to this pressure and follow the strong message listeners have given us. We encourage other radio stations to take the same step."