Zoe Ball has quit BBC Radio 2's Breakfast Show.
Announcing the news live on air today, she told listeners that she will be stepping down as presenter of the weekday Radio 2 Breakfast Show from December 20.
The news comes just months after her extended absence from the show during the summer following her mother's death earlier this year. During that time, fellow radio hosts Scott Mills and Gabby Roslin filled in with her, though her replacement from December has not yet been confirmed but will be announced later today.
In a statement on air, Zoe said that she believed it was time to "start a new chapter" after six years of early starts. However, she confirmed that she would be still be working with Radio 2 in some capacity after her exit.
She said: “Ok you lovely bunch, I have some news. After six years of fun times alongside you all on the Breakfast Show, I've decided it's time to step away from the early alarm call and start a new chapter. You know I think the world of you all listeners, and it truly has been such a privilege to share the mornings with you, to go through life's little ups and downs, we got through the lockdown together, didn't we?
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PA)"We’ve shared a hell of a lot, the good times, the tough times, there’s been a lot of laughter. And I am going to miss you cats. I'm going to miss my amazing Prod Squad who I adore. Already missing Mike, I'm going to miss Tina and Richie. They've all become like family to me, like you lot. But I won’t miss the 4am alarm call, if I'm completely honest. So my last Breakfast show will be with you on the 20th of December and then its high kicks all the way to Christmas, gang.
"I'm not going to be a stranger, I'm staying in the Radio 2 crew and family because it's an amazing family - as we saw last week with Paddy’s fantastic Children in Need challenge- and I’ll have more news on that in the New Year. I just want to say I’m so grateful to my incredible boss ladies, to Helen and Laura and Lorna and Fiona, they have always been so supportive of me especially in this job and particularly this year, so thank you ladies. Now of course it leaves us with a big question, who is going to wake you up in the mornings? Well the good news is you don't have to wait very long to find out. I am going to reveal the brand new host of the Radio 2 Breakfast Show on this show this morning . But for now, know I love you all to bits and this song from Supertramp seemed like a good one to play.”
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Instagram/ @zoetheball)Zoe was the first female host of the Radio 1 Breakfast Show in 1998, a post she held until 2000. She also co-hosted the BBC’s Saturday morning children’s magazine Live & Kicking alongside Jamie Theakston for three years from 1996.
Helen Thomas, head of Radio 2, said: “Zoe has woken up the nation on Radio 2 with incredible warmth, wit and so much joy since January 2019, and I’d like to thank her for approaching each show with as much vim and vigour as if it were her first. I’m thrilled that she’ll remain an important part of the Radio 2 family.”
She has presented the BBC spin-off show Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two, and ITV’s reality competition show Mamma Mia! I Have A Dream.
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English (US) ·