Nick Grimshaw shares the secrets of interviewing Lady Gaga, Matty Healy and Jake Gyllenhaal

No one know celebrities better than Nick Grimshaw and in 2016 The Radio 1 Breakfast Show has been jam packed with some of the biggest names in showbiz.

He’s had Hollywood A-listers, the world’s biggest popstars and the funniest people on television in his Radio 1 studio. These are some of his highlights from the past year.

I don't think I ever laugh quite as much as I do when Alan Carr comes in. He kills me. He has got one of those energies that completely takes over the room. You can't even write questions for him, there's no point. He's one of those guests who make me feel smarter and funnier because he takes you to the next level so you have to really engage to try and get a word in.

When you see him on Chatty Man or doing stand-up, he's like that constantly. A lot of comedians come on and have their set routines and he just doesn't. He just finds the funny in everything.

We really wanted Diplo to come on, we've tried loads. He even has a show on Radio 1 and he still won't come on. We tried to get him on - but our show isn't a Diplo time of the day. We love him and he's fun and we want him to do The Nixtape live.

The other guest we've wanted to get on is Rihanna. She was on twice before on the show but we've never had her on live. Again, it's not a Rihanna time of the morning. We were told we had two opportunities to interview Rihanna earlier in the year but we were told if she woke up and didn't want to do it, it wouldn't happen.

It didn't happen.

Jake Gyllenhaal made me nervous because I fancied him. I get nervous if I fancy them and also if we've talked on air about me fancying them. He might have been told by the film company or by someone I don't know if they're aware that I fancy them, so I try not to let them know. I’m just straight up with them and say "Tell me about the film."

Jake was also the nicest guy ever. He was really funny and friendly and really self-deprecating so the nerves were all pre-show.

I went to bed early and put a face-mask on the night before.

I've known Matty for a really long time and sometimes it's hard to work with someone you know because their persona can be different when they are in the limelight but Matty is really the same on-air, off-air or when you're in the pub with him. He's smart, he's really well read in terms of what's going on. He'll know everything from politics to Beyoncé to The Chicken Connoisseur and I really like that. He loves 'stuff', like me. He loves pop culture, silly stuff and great music.

Rita Ora makes me really feel like myself so an interview is good when you're confident and relaxed. If it's someone you're nervous about maybe the interview isn't as good because you're thinking about questions. I don't think a good interview is necessarily questions about a guest's film or tour or album. A good interview is when things are quite irreverent and conversational.

When I’m with Rita, because I’ve worked with her and known her for a bit and I’m really good friends with her, I’m really comfortable, so I feel I can ask her serious stuff but also joke with her. She's very hard working but she doesn't take herself too seriously. You can totally rinse her. There's no ego with Rita. That was a good example of what I’m like and when the show is the best.

There is a lot going on before someone like Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian or Adele come in. They have a serious amount of people who come in with them. They have a security guard come in the day before and they check the exits, see where they'll be walking, how many people they'll have to talk to, what's the lighting like. Kim Kardashian had a lighting person to check the angles of the camera and the lighting, which is weird she is one of the most beautiful guests we've ever had on. You'll look alright, love.

There's a furore of planning but it doesn't really affect me. The team get more stressed out because they have a million questions and emails to deal with. When Lady Gaga has come in before she's with security guards, she's walked here so there's hundreds of fans chasing her, but this time she'd not been to bed. I remember being in the cab to work and I was on Snapchat and I saw Gaga was still up but it was 5:30. We go on air at 6:30 and she was still up drinking champagne. She arrived an hour later and she's pretty cool. She's not diva-y at all considering how big a performer she is. She talks to everyone the same, she's pretty safe. I love her.

Listen to Nick Grimshaw on Radio 1 every weekday between 7 - 10am