Sara Cox, Zoe Ball and Jo Whiley are among favourites to succeed Chris Evans as fans call for a female Breakfast show host because of ‘lack of women’ on Radio 2
- Fans and experts believe a woman will host breakfast show for the first time
- Sara Cox, Zoe Ball, Jo Whiley and Claudia Winkleman are among the favourites
- Dermot O’Leary, Simon Mayo and Graham Norton also possible replacements
A leading BBC woman is most likely to take over from Chris Evans as Radio 2’s breakfast show host, it was revealed today.
Sara Cox, Zoe Ball, Jo Whiley and Claudia Winkleman are among the favourites to replace the broadcaster, 52, who left fans in tears as he announced his departure live on air today.
If any of them get the job from December this year they will be the first woman to host the flagship show since it started in 1967.
Fellow Radio 2 DJs Dermot O’Leary, Simon Mayo and Graham Norton have also been backed by fans but experts believe it will be a leading lady.
Experts say a woman is likely to replace Chris Evans (left today) on Radio 2 with Sara Cox the most likely candidate
Sara Cox is the favourite with the bookies and fans to get the top job in BBC radio
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Alex Apati of Ladbrokes said: ‘The latest betting suggests it’s Sara Cox who’ll get the Radio 2 gig, although our traders aren’t ruling out Mayo just yet.’
Evans announced today he is leaving the breakfast show, which has 9.43 million listeners per week, after eight years.
He will broadcast his last show in December, and said in a statement that he has loved ‘every single moment.’
Who will replace Chris Evans on the UK’s biggest breakfast show?
Sara Cox 2/1
Simon Mayo 4/1
Jo Whiley 6/1
Zoe Ball 6/1
Mark Goodier 8/1
Steve Wright 10/1
Liza Tarbuck 10/1
Claudia Winkleman 12/1
Richard Madeley 16/1
Nick Grimshaw 16/1
Graham Norton 20/1
Vanessa Feltz 25/1
The 52-year-old, who has been at the station for 13 years, told listeners at 8.10am: ‘I’m leaving. I’m leaving Radio 2. Some of us are mountain climbers and if you get to the top of your favourite mountain and you stay there, you become an observer. I want to keep climbing.’
Experts have said the show is likely to get its first female presenter after decades of male hosts including Sir Terry Wogan, Ken Bruce and Evans.
Sara Cox, who does the 10pm until midnight show, has stood in for Evans when he has been on holiday and appears to be an early favourite for the job, especially among fans.
She has been trending on Twitter as listeners said she should take over,
Rob Corp wrote: ‘Sara Cox to be next Radio 2 Breakfast presenter. She’s ace as Evans’ stand-in, and is perfect for the show’.
Hayley Unlikely said: ‘If Sara Cox doesn’t get the job, there’s no justice’ while Laura Jane Williams tweeted: ‘If Sara Cox doesn’t take over the breakfast show at Radio 2 then i will be the saddest and most despondent person to have ever lived. She’s hilarious, kind, inclusive and so smart. get her on a better slot’.
Zoe Ball is a previous Radio 1 breakfast show host and does the weekend breakfast show and is also a frontrunner.
She tweeted today: ‘Flippin eck. CHRIS EVANS. You absolute legend. Always been such an inspiration, all learnt so much from you. Proper shocker on a Monday morning. You will be most missed Mr. Big big ❤️’.
Jo Whiley, who hosts drive time with Simon Mayo, Zoe Ball, a former Radio 1 breakfast host, and Claudia Winkleman, will also have a good chance of landing the role
Strictly host Claudia Winkleman is also among the bookies’ favourites for the job, which earned Evans more than £1.6million last year.
Jo Whiley and fellow drive-time host Simon Mayo are also being touted as a ‘safe bet’ to take over from Evans, who has millions of loyal listeners the station will be desperate not to lose.
Other men in the running will be Radio 2 stablemates Dermot O’Leary and Graham Norton.
Evans first joined Radio 2 in September 2005 as presenter of the Saturday afternoon show.
He moved to the drivetime slot in 2006. The broadcaster was named Sony Music Radio Personality of the Year in 2006, 2007 and 2009.
Evans took over from Sir Terry Wogan as the host of the Radio 2 Breakfast Show in January 2010.
He scooped the Best Music Radio Breakfast Show award in 2016.
The programme currently has a weekly audience of more than nine million, making it the UK’s most listened-to radio programme.
Evans previously hosted the Radio 1 Breakfast show, Virgin Radio and presented TV shows TFI Friday and Don’t Forget Your Toothbrush.
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