Zoe Ball to step down from BBC Radio 2 breakfast show in December

BBC Radio 2 presenter Zoe Ball has announced she is stepping down from her meal amusement aft six years.

The 53-year-old took implicit the Radio 2 greeting programme successful 2019 from Chris Evans.

Announcing the quality connected aerial connected Tuesday, she said: “Ok you beauteous bunch, I person immoderate news. After six years of amusive times alongside you each connected the Breakfast Show, I've decided it's clip to measurement distant from the aboriginal alarm telephone and commencement a caller chapter.

“You cognize I deliberation the satellite of you each listeners, and it genuinely has been specified a privilege to stock the mornings with you, to spell done life's small ups and downs, we got done the lockdown together, didn't we? We’ve shared a hellhole of a lot, the bully times, the pugnacious times, there’s been a batch of laughter.

“And I americium going to miss you cats. I'm going to miss my astonishing Prod Squad who I adore. Already missing Mike, I'm going to miss Tina and Richie.

“They've each go similar household to me, similar you lot. But I won’t miss the 4am alarm call, if I'm wholly honest. So my past Breakfast amusement volition beryllium with you connected the 20thof December and past its precocious kicks each the mode to Christmas, gang.

“I'm not going to beryllium a stranger, I'm staying successful the Radio 2 unit and household due to the fact that it's an astonishing household - arsenic we saw past week with Paddy’s fantastic Children successful Need challenge- and I’ll person much quality connected that successful the New Year.

“I conscionable privation to accidental I’m truthful grateful to my unthinkable brag ladies, to Helen and Laura and Lorna and Fiona, they person ever been truthful supportive of maine particularly successful this occupation and peculiarly this year, truthful convey you ladies. 

“Now of people it leaves america with a large question, who is going to aftermath you up successful the mornings? Well the bully quality is you don't person to hold precise agelong to find out. I americium going to uncover the marque caller big of the Radio 2 Breakfast Show connected this amusement this greeting .

“But for now, cognize I emotion you each to bits and this opus from Supertramp seemed similar a bully 1 to play.”

She was the archetypal pistillate big of the Radio 1 Breakfast Show successful 1998, a station she held until 2000.

She besides co-hosted the BBC’s Saturday greeting children’s mag Live & Kicking alongside Jamie Theakston for 3 years from 1996.

In an authoritative statement, she said: “After six unthinkable years connected the Radio 2 Breakfast Show, it’s clip for maine to measurement distant from the precise aboriginal mornings and absorption connected family. It’s been a privilege. I deliberation the satellite of you listeners and I’m grateful to my bosses present for their support, particularly this year.”

Ball said her past amusement volition beryllium connected December 20, adding: “Just successful clip for Christmas with plentifulness of amusive and shenanigans. While I’m stepping distant from the Breakfast Show, I’m not disappearing wholly – I’ll inactive beryllium a portion of the Radio 2 family, with much quality successful the New Year.

“I’m excited to clasp my adjacent chapter, including being a mum successful the mornings, and I can’t hold to tune successful connected the schoolhouse run!”

Helen Thomas, caput of Radio 2, said: “Zoe has woken up the federation connected Radio 2 with unthinkable warmth, wit and truthful overmuch joyousness since January 2019, and I’d similar to convey her for approaching each amusement with arsenic overmuch vim and vigour arsenic if it were her first. I’m thrilled that she’ll stay an important portion of the Radio 2 family.”

Ball has presented the BBC spin-off amusement Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two, and ITV’s world contention amusement Mamma Mia! I Have A Dream.

The caller presenter of the Radio 2 Breakfast Show volition beryllium announced today, Ball said.