It was a stupid idea that’s gotten a little bit out of hand. And now, like Mud ‘n’ Madness at the beginning of the year, it’s become a contest between me and another Phoenix DJ… Joe Box of Switch!!! Let me explain.

A few weeks ago, around the beginning of September in fact, I spotted on the Brentwood Gazette website a banner for the “Faces of Essex” Competition 2013 and being the inquisitive type, I clicked it!!

Low and behold it’s a competition open to everyone. Instantly the idea-mill is set into motion and I thought it’d be a laugh if all of the Phoenix DJ’s entered (faces for radio and all). To cut to the chase, the general consensus was that I should enter and everyone would vote for me. Now I’m not one to back out of something daft like this (please note, at this point in time I had no idea this would go any further than me sending in a daft selfie) so I entered. Took a photo of myself in the Phoenix Studio with me headphones on and a look of slight mental instability (see below), filled in the form and hit “SEND”!!!

Two weeks or so later…

I receive an e-mail that looks a little bit like this – 

Imagine my surprise!!

So yeah. I, Rob Jelly of the Phoenix FM Breakfast Show, a man who hasn’t cared for what we looks like first thing in the morning, have been shortlisted to represent Essex in the facial department. I couldn’t write it. Honestly.

But!! Now that this has gotten serious, it’s time for us to get serious. If I’m going to be in the running to win this thing, I’m going to ruddy well win it!! And that’s where you come in. I need your vote please. Votes can only be submitted by SMS text, so in return for just 50p, plus your standard network rate, I will have a photo with each and everyone of you who vote (and who keep the sent text as proof) as my way of saying thanks!!

And just to make it a little bit more interesting, I now know one of the other shortlisted faces I’ll be competing against… Joe Box!!!

Now Joe has a lovely enough face (but don’t forget, he is a radio presenter so it’s not THAT lovely (see below for proof of face) ) and he has also had confirmation to say that he has been shortlisted for this competition. I like Joe. He’s a good guy. Does a great show (Friday nights. 10pm. Called Switch. It’s very good!!) But he’s going down!!!

(Such a poser!!!)

The necessary codes and general bits and bobs that you need to include in your text can be found in the box below.

To vote for me, Rob – [Text EC FACE, 1065, YOUR name, house number and postcode to 65100.]

To vote for him, Joe –  [Text EC FACE, 1055, YOUR name, house number and postcode to 65100.]

*****Texts will cost you 50p plus your standard network rate*****

Votes will only be counted if they are received between the 2nd of October and Midnight Friday the 20th of October, if you do it outside of this time, you’ll probably get charged but your vote be counted (is anyone else starting to visualise Dermot O’Leary reading his teleprompter on the X-Factor??)

Anyway, thanks for reading this far, tis much appreciated. I’m not going to ask you to text more than once but if you could spread the love that’d be ace too!!

Cheers

Rob