Zoe Ball Steps Away From Radio 2 With Immediate Effect as Major Replacement Is Revealed
Zoe Ball has confirmed she is stepping away from her BBC Radio 2 programme with immediate effect, marking another major turning point in her long and influential broadcasting career.
Speaking live on air, the 55-year-old presenter revealed that her final show will air on December 20, bringing her current run on the station to an early close. She also confirmed that Emma Willis will take over the slot, in a move that has already been welcomed by listeners and colleagues alike.
Despite the sudden nature of the announcement, Zoe reassured fans that this is not a permanent goodbye. She confirmed she will return to Radio 2 for special programmes, including festive broadcasts and a new “eras” series planned for next year.
A Major Shift — But Not a Full Exit
Zoe’s decision follows nearly 20 years of association with Radio 2, during which she has fronted documentaries, weekend shows and, most notably, the station’s flagship Breakfast Show.
She stepped down from breakfast duties in 2024 after six years in the role, later moving into the lunchtime slot — a position she took on following a deeply personal period away from radio after the death of her mother, Julia, who passed away from cancer.
That break, lasting four and a half months, prompted Zoe to reassess her priorities, with the presenter speaking openly about grief, wellbeing and the need to slow down.
Emma Willis Confirmed as Replacement
Emma Willis, 49, has now been officially named as Zoe’s replacement and will take over the lunchtime show full-time.
Reacting to the news, Emma said she was “honoured” to be stepping into the role, praising Zoe as someone she has long admired. She added that she was excited to become a permanent part of the Radio 2 family and joked that she would now be the “filling” between Romesh Ranganathan and Rylan Clark in the station’s daytime line-up.
Emma is no stranger to radio or live broadcasting. She previously hosted on the Heart network and has regularly covered shows on Radio 2 since 2019. Her TV résumé includes Big Brother, The Voice, The Circle, Love Is Blind and Cooking With The Stars.
Warm Tributes From Colleagues
Tributes quickly followed Zoe’s announcement. Rylan Clark shared a heartfelt message on social media, sending love to Zoe and welcoming Emma into what he jokingly called his “radio marriage”.
During her final announcement, Zoe herself spoke warmly about her colleagues and listeners, making light-hearted jokes about her place in the schedule while expressing genuine affection for the Radio 2 team.
Behind the Scenes at the BBC
Zoe’s departure comes amid wider speculation about future presenting line-ups across the BBC. Reports earlier this year suggested that BBC executives had been quietly conducting chemistry tests with a shortlist of high-profile presenters — including Zoe — as part of long-term planning for Strictly Come Dancing.
While no official link has been made between those discussions and her Radio 2 exit, the timing has fuelled industry chatter about broader changes behind the scenes.
A Career Defined by Reinvention
Zoe Ball first rose to prominence in the mid-1990s as co-host of the Radio 1 Breakfast Show, later becoming the first woman to front the programme solo. After leaving Radio 1 in 2000, she moved between commercial radio and television before returning to the BBC, where she became a familiar face on Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two, hosting the spin-off show for a decade.
Her Radio 2 journey began in 2006, eventually leading to her historic appointment as breakfast host in 2019 following Chris Evans’ departure.
In recent years, Zoe has also spoken candidly about health challenges, including a painful battle with bursitis, and about finding balance outside broadcasting — even working shifts at Big Beach Café in Hove alongside her ex-husband Norman “Fatboy Slim” Cook during her time away from radio.
An Era Pauses — Not Ends
As Zoe prepares to sign off later this month, her exit feels less like a farewell and more like a pause — a step back rather than a disappearance.
For listeners, it marks the end of another chapter in Radio 2’s history — but with the reassurance that one of Britain’s most recognisable radio voices is never too far from the microphone.
And for Emma Willis, it’s the beginning of a new era — stepping into a slot shaped by a broadcaster who helped define modern British radio.