BBC journalist Tina Daheley has been announced as the newsreader for the Zoe Ball Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2 when it launches on Monday.
Ball will be the first female host on the UK’s most popular breakfast show, replacing Chris Evans who stepped down last month to move to Virgin Radio, part of Rupert Murdoch’s Wireless Group.
Daheley, who read news bulletins on the BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Nick Grimshaw until last August, will be joined by travel news presenter Richie Anderson, sports presenter Mike Williams and existing weather presenter Carol Kirkwood.
Ball said: “I am thrilled to be joined by such a talented trio in the form of Richie, Tina and Mike. Now this top team are ready for Monday, we can’t wait for people to hear the show.”
Daheley made her debut on the BBC News at Six and BBC News at Ten last year and launched Today spin-off podcast Beyond Today with co-host Matthew Price, focusing on a single news story each day to offer younger listeners a “different take” on the headlines. She will continue on the podcast alongside the breakfast show.
Daheley has also filled-in for regular presenters on BBC Breakfast and the Victoria Derbyshire Show, and co-presented Crimewatch with Jeremy Vine.
Her new BBC Radio 2 role sees her replace newsreader Moira Stuart, who is joining Classic FM to read the morning news.
She said: “After ten years and three consecutive breakfast shows on Radio 1/1Xtra I swore I’d never do it again.
“But being asked to take over from my news idol and broadcasting legend Moira Stuart on the biggest breakfast show in the UK with the first female host in its history, it was an offer I couldn’t turn down. I can’t wait to start working with Zoe.”
Anderson is joining the breakfast show from BBC WM in the West Midlands and has previously reported for The One Show and on the red carpet for events such as the BBC Music Awards and Sports Personality of the Year.
He described it as an “absolute dream” to join the breakfast show and “work with Zoe and the rest of the amazingly talented team”.
Williams joined BBC Sport in 2011 and has since worked as a sports newsreader at 5 Live, the World Service, the Asian Network, and Newsbeat. He has already covered on the Radio 2 Breakfast Show.
He said: “In the late 90s, I used to get up early every Saturday morning to watch Zoe present Live and Kicking, so it’s now pretty mind-blowing to be joining her team on the brand new Zoe Ball Breakfast Show.
“This is a genuine dream job on the biggest show in the country and I can’t wait to bring the sports news to millions of listeners every morning.”
Helen Thomas, head of content commissioning at Radio 2, said: “It’s wonderful that Tina Daheley will be bringing her news presenting expertise to The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show, joining Mike, Richie, Carol, and of course Zoe, to launch what I know will be an incredible show next week.”
Picture: BBC
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