BBC Radio 1 presenter Greg James was removed from his breakfast show and replaced by a colleague in an on-air prank.

Greg was presenting his show near Hove Lagoon as part of the Radio 1 Games when he was told his colleague Scott would take over presenting from London.

Security guards then escorted Greg from the studio.

A statement from the station read out on air said: “Radio 1 are kicking Greg James off the Radio 1 Breakfast Show with immediate effect.

“Greg was part way through presenting this morning’s show from Brighton but is currently being removed from the studio.

“Greg has lost his Radio 1 show. He will have the chance to win it back by completing a challenge.

“At this very moment, a new team are taking over the show from the BBC HQ. Until further notice, Radio 1 Breakfast will be The Scott Mills Show.”

To win back his presenting duties, Greg must complete the Radio 1 Giant Jigsaw - a puzzle of the Radio 1 logo broken into 20 pieces, scattered in hidden locations across the UK.

Listeners will have to help Greg find all 20 pieces, get them to Brighton and fit them into a puzzle frame floating in Hove Lagoon.

The Argus: Broadcaster Greg James is enlisting listeners to bring jigsaw pieces from across the country to Hove LagoonBroadcaster Greg James is enlisting listeners to bring jigsaw pieces from across the country to Hove Lagoon

Speaking to BBC’s Newscast, Greg said: “There’s really no point to it apart from it being silly for the sake of being silly.

“It’s also to see how far the listeners will go with us on something like this and to have a bit of distraction for half term.”

Several pieces have already been discovered, with one even appearing in the studio for the BBC’s coverage of the England v Spain match at the Amex last night.

Greg told Newscast: “The first one was in John O’Groats - there was a guy on holiday from Australia who found it on the famous signpost.”

Others have been found in Land’s End and Wrexham.

Greg also said that fans of his show have come to greet him during his hunt to locate the puzzle pieces.

“It’s nice to be in a place where lots of people are walking past going ‘I listen to you on my way to work’,” he said.