Interview: C4’s ‘Freshly squeezed’ Rick Edwards

The latest fresh-faced attitude-laden presenter to take up the T4 baton is none other than Mr Rick Edwards. Straight out of the Steve Jones school of chiselled jaws and witty banter, you can watch him weekday mornings fronting Freshly Squeezed on Channel 4 with the ever lovely Alexa Chung.

The night birds among you who can’t conceive of getting up before midday can also catch him in the wee small hours presenting JD Sets: exclusive gigs with up-and coming acts. Tough jobs both, but someone’s got to do them.

Edwards is no stranger to hard work: he studied natural sciences at the University of Cambridge, as well as tutoring A-level and GCSE maths, physics, chemistry, biology and art. University is also where he kick-started his career, performing stand-up and sketch shows in between frequent trips to the laboratory.

With all this experience of higher education and the heights of music and entertainment news, Edwards is in a prime position to pass on his tips for keeping yourself amused at uni.

Best song to wake up to?

April March’s “Chick Habit”. This track will transform the most morose morning lethargy into wild-eyed, empowered exuberance. Should you not sing along and jump on your bed, you might be dead – get yourself checked out.

Best book to fall asleep to?

The Story of Film by Mark Cousins. It’s the perfect bedtime read: if you love films, you’ll be fascinated by this comprehensive history of the art; if you don’t, it’ll bore you to sleep.

Best film to get you inspired?

El Mariachi. When Robert Rodriguez showed this film to Hollywood fat cats, they refused to believe that he’d made it for a mere $25,000 (£13,160). Money is no obstacle if you’ve got talent, although the chances of being as talented as Rodriguez are, unfortunately, painfully low.

Best album to study to?

Fur and Gold by Bat for Lashes. I don’t approve of fur, even on animals, but I do like gold – it’s all shiny, isn’t it? This is a beautiful album and the lead singer, Natasha Khan, has a sad voice that would suit my mood while studying.

Best TV show to eat your dinner in front of?

Hollyoaks. I don’t imagine that I need to explain myself.

Best book to read in a café?

Blindness by José Saramago, is the best book to read anywhere. On the one hand it’s a tense page-turner; on the other it’s a beautiful examination of the human condition and our vices. It also affords you the opportunity to feel much, much better than the drones reading Dan Brown and drinking lattes.

Best band to dance round your room to?

If I want to pretend to be Marty McFly from Back to the Future (which sometimes I do), I’ll put on some Chuck Berry. If I want to bang my head and pretend to have long rock hair (which sometimes I do) I’ll put on some Queens of the Stone Age. If I want to pretend to be a New York gangsta (which sometimes I do) I’ll put on some Jay Z.

Best boxset for a rainy Sunday afternoon?

The Wire or The Shield? I can’t decide. I won’t decide. Two US cop dramas, one set in Baltimore and one set in LA. Very different in terms of pacing and the style of police work (softly, softly versus ass kicking) but equally brilliant.

Best magazine to waste time with?

Time Out. Pages and pages of stuff to waste time on. Poring over the listings makes me realise that I can’t fit it all in. This induces a panic attack.

Best artist to have on your iPod in the library?

The Wombats. There’s something quite thrillingly illicit about sitting in a silent room full of hunched-over scribblers while quietly tapping your foot to this punky pop assault. Resist the urge to start muttering along though – no one else wants to hear about your plans to move to New York.