Zoe Ball to leave BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show and ‘focus on family’

Zoe Ball, the presenter of BBC Radio 2, has revealed that she will be leaving her breakfast show after six years. Scott Mills will take over her role.

"After an amazing six years hosting the Radio 2 Breakfast Show, I've decided it's time to leave the early mornings behind and concentrate on my family," she shared with her audience on Tuesday.

Ball later announced that Mills, who manages the mid-afternoon program, would take over her position, with her final broadcast scheduled for Friday, December 20.

This change is part of a larger reorganization at Radio 2, which is the BBC's most listened-to station, attracting around 13.3 million listeners each week. Trevor Nelson will now take over Mills's old time slot, becoming the first black host to be featured in Radio 2's daytime lineup.

Ball, who is 53 years old, began hosting the Radio 2 morning show in 2019 after Chris Evans left. She was off the air for almost two months during the summer, with Mills filling in for her. Ball came back in September, just as rumors about her future with the station started to circulate.

While announcing her exit live on air, Ball shared, “I’ve made the decision to move on from the early wake-up calls and embark on a new journey. I hold all of you listeners in high regard, and it has genuinely been an honor to spend the mornings with you.”

In 1998, she became the first woman to host the Radio 1 Breakfast Show, a role she continued in until 2000.

From 1996, she co-hosted the BBC's Saturday morning kids' show, Live & Kicking, with Jamie Theakston for three years.

In a formal announcement, she remarked, “After six amazing years hosting the Radio 2 Breakfast Show, I’ve decided to leave the early mornings behind and concentrate on my family. It has been a true honor. I hold you listeners in high regard, and I appreciate the support from my supervisors, particularly this year.”

Ball shared her thoughts on her final performance: "It's perfect timing for the holidays, filled with lots of excitement and antics. Although I'm taking a break from the Breakfast Show, I won’t be completely gone – I’ll remain in the Radio 2 family, so stay tuned for more updates in the new year."

"I'm looking forward to the next phase of my life, especially becoming a mom in the mornings. I can't wait to experience the school run!"

Ball has hosted the BBC spin-off program Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two, as well as ITV's reality show Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream. She is said to be interested in taking on more TV projects with her son Woody, especially following their joint appearance on Channel 4’s Celebrity Gogglebox.

Mills, who transitioned from Radio 1 to Radio 2 in 2022 to take over from Steve Wright, commented: “Zoe and I have been close friends for more than 25 years, sharing a lot of that time within the same radio community at both Radio 2 and Radio 1. She has done an amazing job hosting this show for the last six years, and I can hardly contain my excitement at being entrusted with this opportunity."

"Since I started recording my first shows as a child for just my mum, it seems like everything I've done has brought me to this incredible chance. It's truly a dream come true to take on the role of the new presenter for the Radio 2 Breakfast Show, following in the footsteps of legends like Sir Terry Wogan, Chris, and Zoe."

Nelson, who is 60 years old, expressed his excitement about his new daytime position, saying, "It's a fantastic opportunity to be on during the day. As a broadcaster, it's a true honor to entertain the whole country on the UK's largest station every day. I'm aiming to have a lot of fun and will add some soul to the program. For those who tune in regularly, I’m happy to share that my 'guess the artist' game, Five Seconds to Name, will return along with me, and I hope new listeners will have fun joining in as well."

In other news at the station, DJ Spoony is expanding his weekly show, The Good Groove, which currently airs on Friday nights from 9pm to 11pm. It will now run four nights a week from Monday to Thursday, from 10pm to midnight. Additionally, Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s Kitchen Disco will also see an increase in its duration, now offering two hours of music on Friday nights, from 9pm to 11pm.