Emma Willis is set to take over the BBC Radio 2 Saturday lunchtime slot from Zoe Ball.
Zoe steps down from her weekly show on the station 12 months after leaving the breakfast show to enjoy more family time.
Zoe will present her final programme in the slot on Saturday 20th December and will continue to host specials on Radio 2, as she has done throughout this year.
Emma said she was looking forward to joining the station’s weekend line-up, describing Radio 2 as a station she has long admired and acknowledging Zoe’s contribution to the programme.
She added that she was keen to spend her Saturday afternoons with listeners.
Emma previously co-presented Sunday mornings on Heart Radio with Stephen Mulhern for six years and has been a familiar voice on Radio 2 since 2019, regularly deputising for Sara Cox on weekday afternoons and for Romesh Ranganathan and Claudia Winkleman on Saturdays.
Helen Thomas, Head of Radio 2, said: “Emma is one of the UK’s most popular broadcasters and I’m thrilled that she’s joining the Radio 2 family. I’m certain that our listeners will welcome her with open arms.”
The programme will continue to be produced by Biscuit Jim and will sit within Radio 2’s Saturday schedule alongside Tony Blackburn, Dermot O’Leary, Romesh, Rylan, Liza Tarbuck, Gary Davies and Fearne Cotton.
Zoe said she had enjoyed her time in the slot and welcomed Emma as her successor, saying she was “over the moon” to see her take on the role. Helen added thanks to Zoe for her contribution, describing her as a valued part of the Radio 2 team.
As her first new project, Zoe will also present a new series of the Radio 2 podcast Eras, focusing on the life and career of Phil Collins. The series launches on BBC Sounds on Monday 19th January, with broadcasts on Radio 2 later in the month.
This story first appeared on radiotoday.co.uk