Radcliffe began his broadcasting career in local commercial radio in Manchester before a move to the national station BBC Radio 5, where he met and formed a partnership with former the Fall guitarist Marc Riley. In 1991, he moved to BBC Radio 1 closely followed by Riley with whom, under the moniker Mark and Lard, he worked for 11 years on the station. The pair's stint on Radio 1 included a brief and opinion-dividing spell on the flagship "The Radio 1 Breakfast Show" and a subsequent afternoon slot show that garnered three prestigious Sony Radio Academy Awards.