One last afternoon show
Scott opened the programme by acknowledging that it was his final afternoon before moving to the Radio 2 Breakfast Show in January.
He joked that he would miss arriving at the office at 9am for a 2pm start and promised colleagues on the eighth floor that he would still visit after breakfast.
Listeners were invited to send messages and voice notes for one final afternoon together.
Gail and the singing air fryer
Scott returned to one of the programme’s earliest callers.
Gail had discovered that singing into an air fryer produced surprisingly effective echo and reverb.
She had first demonstrated the trick with It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.
For the farewell show, Scott replayed the original moment and caught up with Gail.
She said she would miss the afternoon programme and explained that her late mother had also loved listening because Scott made her laugh.
Gail usually woke too late to hear breakfast, but promised she would listen on Mondays.
Scott suggested she might eventually bring her morning song to the new programme.
They ended the call with the sign-off: “Love you, bye.”
Sam Ryder sings the takeaway order
Scott also revisited the moment Sam Ryder transformed a family takeaway order into a dramatic vocal performance.
The order included a vegetable platter and chicken vindaloo from the Alhambra Palace.
Scott remembered it as proof that Sam could sing almost anything and make it sound good.
Listeners sent messages recalling other strange and joyful moments from the previous two years.
The last Birthday Game: Holly
Holly lived in Devon but came originally from the Shetland Islands.
She turned 45 and had applied for the Birthday Game the previous year without being selected.
Her husband was taking her out for dinner, although the destination remained a surprise.
Holly wanted Eurythmics or Annie Lennox and hoped to avoid Britney Spears.
Her first spin was the Flying Pickets’ a cappella version of Only You, number one in 1983.
Holly liked the song but preferred Yazoo’s original and rejected it.
The second was Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You, which spent ten weeks at number one.
Holly risked the final spin despite knowing the strength of Whitney’s fanbase.
Her compulsory third song was East 17’s Stay Another Day, number one in 1994.
Holly remembered hearing it on the school bus as a teenager and said it was the song she would have chosen from the three.
Scott reminded listeners that the Birthday Game would continue with Richie Anderson and DJ Spoony during the remaining afternoon programmes.
Radio 2 Real Talk
Scott introduced a one-off feature called Radio 2 Real Talk.
He reflected on the unusually personal relationship between radio presenters and listeners.
A presenter became part of the daily routine: the voice heard while getting up, working, driving, collecting children or preparing dinner.
Scott acknowledged that listeners often resisted changes to that routine before gradually accepting a new programme.
Honest listener messages
Several messages admitted that listeners had not expected to like Scott when he first arrived in the afternoon slot.
One said Scott had grown on them “like a nasty rash” and had become their favourite Radio 2 presenter.
Another asked whether he would actually present more breakfast shows than afternoons after the number of cover presenters used during 2024.
Scott accepted the affectionate criticism and thanked listeners for their honesty.
The messages became increasingly emotional, and Scott admitted that one song and set of memories had nearly made him cry.
A visit from the breakfast team
A colleague from the morning schedule arrived with surprises celebrating the afternoon programme.
They revisited some of the listeners who had become recurring characters, including 100-year-old Birthday Game contestant Ray and Laura, Scott’s rival in the local Christmas-lights competition.
The segment was presented like a light-hearted version of This Is Your Life, recognising the callers and features that had shaped the show.
What comes next
Scott confirmed that he would begin the Radio 2 Breakfast Show in January.
His immediate task was pantomime, where he was returning as Mayor Mills in Jack and the Beanstalk.
He also learned during the programme that the production opened on Saturday rather than Sunday, slightly reducing his remaining preparation time.
Handover
Scott handed over to Sara Cox after more than two years in the afternoon slot.
The final programme ended as both a farewell and a promise that the same listener relationship would continue in a different part of the day.
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