Zoe Ball has announced she is stepping down from presenting her BBC Radio 2 Saturday afternoon show, with broadcaster Emma Willis set to take over the slot.
The 55-year-old revealed the news live on air, telling listeners her final programme will air next Saturday. Ball stressed she is not leaving the station entirely and will continue to present special programmes for Radio 2.
“I have loved being betwixt my dear friends Romesh and Rylan, and I love you all to bits, but I’m not disappearing completely,” she said. “Obviously it’ll be Christmas Crooners, and I’m doing an Eras show in the new year.”
Ball said she was “thrilled” to announce Willis as her replacement, describing her as a “superwoman” and formally welcoming her to the Radio 2 family. She praised Willis’s broadcasting pedigree, citing her work on shows including The Voice, Big Brother, Love Is Blind and Cooking With the Stars.
In a statement released by the BBC, Willis said she was “absolutely chuffed” to be joining Radio 2. “It’s a real honour to follow in the huge footsteps Zoe leaves behind, who’s someone I admire and adore,” she said, adding she would “happily be the filling to a Romesh and Rylan sandwich”.
Helen Thomas, head of Radio 2, said Willis was “one of the UK’s most popular broadcasters” and predicted listeners would welcome her warmly. She confirmed the new show will sit within the station’s Superstar Saturday schedule alongside Tony Blackburn, Dermot O’Leary, Romesh Ranganathan, Rylan Clark, Liza Tarbuck, Gary Davies and Fearne Cotton.
Ball’s departure follows her decision to step down from Radio 2’s breakfast show last year after almost six years in the role, citing a desire to focus on her family. She later returned to present the 13:00 to 15:00 Saturday programme. Despite stepping back, she remains one of the BBC’s highest-profile presenters. Corporation pay disclosures show she earned £950,000 in 2023–24, making her the second-highest paid BBC presenter after Gary Lineker, with earnings falling to around £510,000 after leaving the breakfast slot.
She will remain on the airwaves through a new series of the award-winning Eras podcast for Radio 2 and BBC Sounds, focusing on the life and career of Phil Collins. The series launches on BBC Sounds on 19 January before airing on Radio 2 later that month.
Willis, 49, previously hosted a show on Heart Radio and has been a cover presenter on Radio 2 since 2019. She said stepping into Ball’s role was both exciting and daunting, describing Ball as “legendary” and the role as “very big boots to fill”.
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