List of BBC Radio 2 timeslots and presenters
List of BBC Radio 2 timeslots and presenters summarises the principal Radio 2 timeslots since its launch in 1967 and the presenters who have occupied them. Times are typical for each era and may have varied by a few minutes across decades. All dates are taken from BBC Genome listings, BBC press releases, and major news coverage.[1]
Scope and method
[edit]This list covers the core weekday and weekend strands that have defined the Radio 2 schedule: Early Breakfast, Breakfast, Mid-morning, Lunchtime / Current Affairs, Afternoon, Drivetime, Evening / Specialist, and selected long-running weekend fixtures such as Sunday Love Songs. Each section provides a summary paragraph, a table of presenters (with duration) and a visual timeline.
Weekday timeslots
[edit]Early Breakfast
[edit]The early-morning strand (usually 04:00–06:00/06:30) has traditionally warmed up the network before the main breakfast programme. It began with rotating continuity presenters in 1967, later gaining fixed hosts including Sarah Kennedy and Vanessa Feltz. Since 2021 it has been hosted by Owain Wyn Evans.
| # | Presenter | From | To | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Various continuity announcers | 1967 | 1979 | 12 years | Early mixed-music strand preceding Breakfast Special. |
| 2 | Ray Moore | 1979 | 1986 | 7 years | Introduced humour and listener interaction. |
| 3 | Sarah Kennedy | 1993 | 2010 | 17 years | The Dawn Patrol; long-running early show. |
| 4 | Vanessa Feltz | 2011 | 2021 | 10 years | Live weekday editions; later moved to TalkTV. |
| 5 | Owain Wyn Evans | 2021 | present | 4 years+ | Current presenter. |
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Breakfast
[edit]The flagship breakfast show has always been the centrepiece of Radio 2's schedule. It launched as Breakfast Special in 1967 before becoming The Radio 2 Breakfast Show, most notably hosted by Terry Wogan, Chris Evans and Zoe Ball; Scott Mills has been announced as successor from 2025. (See main article: The Radio 2 Breakfast Show.)
| # | Presenter | From | To | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Various (Breakfast Special) | 30 September 1967 | 2 January 1970 | 2 years, 94 days | Rotating presenters during launch years. |
| 2 | John Dunn | 5 January 1970 | 31 March 1972 | 2 years, 86 days | Regular weekday host. |
| 3 | Terry Wogan | 3 April 1972 | 28 December 1984 | 12 years, 269 days | Established conversational tone. |
| 4 | Ken Bruce | 7 January 1985 | 4 April 1986 | 1 year, 87 days | Interim before Derek Jameson. |
| 5 | Derek Jameson | 7 April 1986 | 20 December 1991 | 5 years, 257 days | Added phone-ins and current affairs. |
| 6 | Brian Hayes | 6 January 1992 | 23 December 1992 | 352 days | Short tenure. |
| 7 | Terry Wogan | 4 January 1993 | 18 December 2009 | 16 years, 348 days | Wake Up to Wogan era. |
| 8 | Chris Evans | 11 January 2010 | 24 December 2018 | 8 years, 347 days | High-energy format. |
| 9 | Zoe Ball | 14 January 2019 | 20 December 2024 | 5 years, 341 days | First female host. |
| 10 | Scott Mills | 27 January 2025 | present | — | Announced successor. |
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Mid-morning
[edit]The mid-morning show (traditionally 09:30–12:00) evolved from a light-entertainment strand in the 1970s into one of the network's biggest music-and-chat shows. It became synonymous with Ken Bruce, who fronted the slot for over three decades before leaving in 2023.
| # | Presenter | From | To | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Various presenters | 1967 | 1970 | 3 years | Rotated among continuity-style hosts in the early years. |
| 2 | Pete Murray | 1970 | 1973 | 3 years | Brought a pop-oriented tone to the slot. |
| 3 | Jimmy Young | 1973 | 1979 | 6 years | Moved here before later taking over the lunchtime current-affairs show. |
| 4 | John Dunn | 1979 | 1981 | 2 years | Brief tenure before moving to Drivetime. |
| 5 | Ray Moore | 1981 | 1984 | 3 years | Returned to daytime with a conversational style. |
| 6 | Ken Bruce | 1984 | 1986 | 2 years | First spell in mid-morning, with a break Jan 1985–Apr 1986 when he presented Breakfast. |
| 7 | Ken Bruce | 1986 | 1990 | 4 years | Returned following the Derek Jameson breakfast era. |
| 8 | Brian Hayes | 1990 | 1991 | 1 year | Short, more news-driven period. |
| 9 | Ken Bruce | 1992 | 2023 | 31 years | Longest-serving host; introduced PopMaster. |
| 10 | Vernon Kay | 2023 | present | 2 years+ | Took over in May 2023. |
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Lunchtime / Current Affairs
[edit]Since the early 1970s this slot has provided news, interviews and listener discussion, first with Jimmy Young and then Jeremy Vine.
| # | Presenter | From | To | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Various magazine shows | 1967 | 1973 | 6 years | Mixed factual content. |
| 2 | Jimmy Young | 1973 | 2002 | 29 years | The Jimmy Young Show. |
| 3 | Jeremy Vine | 2003 | present | 22 years+ | The Jeremy Vine Show. |
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Afternoon
[edit]The post-lunch block (14:00–17:00) mixes features, interviews and music. Steve Wright's long-running Steve Wright in the Afternoon defined the slot from 1999 to 2022.
| # | Presenter | From | To | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ed Stewart | 1972 | 1979 | 7 years | Ed Stewart’s Show. |
| 2 | Gloria Hunniford | 1982 | 1995 | 13 years | Magazine and music format. |
| 3 | Steve Wright | 1999 | 2022 | 23 years | Landmark entertainment show. |
| 4 | Scott Mills | 2022 | 2025 | 3 years | Music-driven successor before move to breakfast. |
| 5 | Trevor Nelson | 2025 | present | — | Successor under 2025 refresh. |
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Drivetime
[edit]The Drivetime show (usually 17:00–19:00) has combined music, interviews and news updates since the late 1970s. Its most recent long tenure was Simon Mayo's run (2010–2018), followed by Sara Cox from 2019.
| # | Presenter | From | To | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Dunn | 1981 | 1998 | 17 years | Established drivetime identity. |
| 2 | Johnnie Walker | 1999 | 2006 | 7 years | Music-led show with interviews. |
| 3 | Chris Evans | 2006 | 2009 | 3 years | Up-tempo, audience-driven style. |
| 4 | Simon Mayo | 2010 | 2018 | 8 years | Simon Mayo Drivetime. |
| 5 | Jo Whiley & Simon Mayo | 2018 | 2018 | ~7 months | Joint hosting (May–Dec 2018). |
| 6 | Sara Cox | 2019 | present | 6 years+ | Current presenter (typically 16:00–19:00). |
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Weekend fixtures
[edit]Sunday Love Songs
[edit]Sunday Love Songs (09:00–11:00) has aired since 1996. Created and long hosted by Steve Wright, it continues as a listener-dedication programme; Michael Ball takes over from 2025.
| # | Presenter | From | To | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steve Wright | 1996 | 2022 | 26 years | Creator and original host. |
| 2 | Vernon Kay (interim) | 2022 | 2023 | 1 year | Temporary cover. |
| 3 | Nicki Chapman | 2023 | 2024 | 1 year | Interim continuation. |
| 4 | Michael Ball | 2025 | present | — | Took over after 2025 weekend reshuffle. |
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See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "BBC Genome Project". BBC Genome. BBC. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
External links
[edit]Category:BBC Radio 2 Category:BBC radio timelines Category:BBC Radio programmes