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It seems to be these days that each show team inc production has been told to have 2 weeks off around Christmas and most have gone for before Christmas 1 of which has to be limbo week for weekday presenters 

As it's been a year since the major daytime schedule changes on 2, I thought I'd start a new review topic for everyone's thoughts on Scott, Trevor and Spoony now that their shows are well bedded in.  For me: Scott - you could tell from his afternoon show that he was missing someone to bounce off and in specifically Ellie but definitely also Tina he's got that. He sounds tonnes better on breakfast and has really come into his own on 2. Plus he's developed a strong format with the quiz and elder vs millennial standing out.  Trevor - It's a more music heavy and less personality based show (though he injects it brilliantly where he needs to) but it really suits him and his features are very strong. He's got good banter with Richie and Bobbie and I think people are enjoying the variety of music on that show as well.  Spoony - Fits in to late nights absolutely seamlessly, his format is full of very good quality entertaining features and Spoony's really getting his personality across loads. 

Shaun is also in for Liza Tarbuck tonight, 7th and 14th February. Josh Widdicombe sits in next week.

W/C 16 Feb Shaun Keaveny in for Jo Whiley Angellica Bell in for DJ Spoony

“If I’m the First Voice You’re Hearing Today, Hi” Scott opened Tuesday gently, welcoming anyone drifting in after Owain, setting up a packed morning and casually dropping in that “depending on what generation you are, you will know today’s guest,” before listing almost every possible Michaela Strachan reference point in one breath. He also noted, slightly surprised, that radio DJs “don’t get letters anymore,” before immediately contradicting himself by announcing “hundreds — not in the post, but virtually by email,” ready for the mailbag later. The Owl Thing (No One Knows Why) The show quickly latched onto what became the uncontested theme of the morning: owl impressions. Scott admitted he didn’t understand where it had come from, saying it was “either the Beckhams or owls” on social media, but that didn’t stop him going all in. Voice notes poured in from everywhere, with Scott inviting “owls all over the land — Manchester, Cardiff, Belfast, Norwich, Edinburgh, Aberdeen,” and opening the door to celebrity owls too. Tina and Ellie were swiftly dragged in. Tina delivered a composed “twit-two,” while Ellie went rogue with “ee-bye-hoo.” Scott was delighted and faintly alarmed, noting he’d “never seen so many voice notes come in this early in the morning,” before declaring the UK “a nation of owls” and accepting that “we just need a bit of a laugh, don’t we?” Wedgie-Gate and Newsreader Trauma Somehow, the word “wedgie” became a talking point, after Scott revealed he hadn’t expected to hear it said repeatedly in a news bulletin. He admitted, incredulous, that he’d never said it “on the radio. Full stop,” before imagining the internal struggle of having to read it aloud on air. Tina confirmed she’d never said it either, and Scott gleefully replayed the moment, admitting he could hear the panic in the delivery. It was one of those moments that existed purely to make Scott laugh — and therefore stayed alive far longer than necessary. Pause for Thought That Properly Landed The mood shifted with Pause for Thought from Krish Kandiah, who spoke about mornings shared with his son reading How to Train Your Dragon, and how a Shared Lives placement had quietly changed their family dynamic. Scott listened closely, later reflecting that it wasn’t too late — “here we are on the 20th of January, nearly February” — to finally start reading properly himself. The chat rolled naturally into Tina’s goal of reading 52 books in a year, which Scott described as “an impressive amount of books,” before admitting he hoped they were “all short ones.” Michaela Strachan: Five Paragraphs, No Notes Michaela Strachan joined just after eight, with Scott admitting he felt like he already knew her because he’d been watching her for years. Michaela returned the love, saying she listens to Radio 2 “all the time when I’m in my car,” instantly establishing mutual fandom. They talked Winterwatch returning that night, Michaela explaining the aim was to help people “feel relaxed, feel comfortable, really embrace the outdoors,” while learning about British wildlife. Broadcasting from Mount Stewart in Northern Ireland, she revealed they’d adjusted their start time to avoid clashing with The Traitors, joking that “you don’t want to mess with that.” Michaela ran through the wildlife lineup — badgers, pine martens, red squirrels, otters — calling it “an absolute mammal fest,” while Scott helpfully clarified she meant mammals, not “middle-aged men in Lycra.” The pair also teased a Traitors-inspired feature called “nature’s traitors,” with Michaela proudly explaining her assigned angler fish, complete with prop, because “regulars of the Watches love our props.” She gamely reacted to the owl impressions too, praising a Cilla Black owl as “inspired,” before Scott promised to play her the new Bruno Mars track and ominously hinted they’d be revisiting “something from the past” after. Take That Trauma, Reopened Later, Scott unveiled the trailer for the new Take That documentary, admitting he’d already watched it and found it “incredible,” packed with unseen footage and drama. He described watching it with his son, who wasn’t around for the original era but was now fully obsessed, wanting to “watch another one” immediately. Scott reminded listeners of the emotional impact of the original split, vividly recalling the press conference and the now-legendary Take That helpline, which he confirmed “was real and is featured in the show.” He asked, gently but pointedly, whether anyone listening had actually called it at the time, fully aware of what he was about to unleash. The post 20 January 2026: A Nation of Owls, Wedgie News and Michaela Strachan first appeared on Unofficial Mills.View the full article

Here's one I put up a few years back. This show will be 25 years old this coming Thursday (22nd January 2026). Frightening, it sounds like just a few years ago listening back.

Blue Monday? Absolutely not. Scott opened the week in full rejection mode, immediately binning the idea of Blue Monday and asking for voice notes instead of texts. “I’d much rather hear your voice than just a text,” he said, inviting weekend gossip straight into WhatsApp. He also flagged what the whole morning would orbit around: Dolly Parton’s 80th birthday, promising that his half-hour chat with Dolly would be replayed later because “it just feels right”. By the time Republica and Beyoncé had done their thing, the tone was set. A listener celebrating their first ever 5K was congratulated, another proudly announced there was “no Blue Monday here”, and Scott made it official: “Yeah, we’re not having that.” Ellie’s back, AI nearly takes over, and the medical vape returns Ellie Brennan returned to the studio after being floored by illness, sounding better but admitting she was still tired. Scott revealed that during her absence they’d used “AI Ellie more than we normally would”, before reassuring her that while it can laugh and say “I’m from the north”, she still has “at least a couple of years” before it takes her job. This spiralled into talk of tonsils, how everyone had them out “in the 80s”, and Ellie revealing hers were “great balls of fire” last week. Tina then brought up Ellie’s steam voice machine, described lovingly as her “medical vape”, prompting Scott to say he once walked in and thought “we had a new pope”. Tina added it was like “Stars in Their Eyes DIY”, with Ellie insisting “a girl’s got to do what a girl’s got to do”. The slippers, the jeans, and fashion regret The conversation drifted — as it always does — into footwear. Ellie admitted she wore her fur-lined shoes into work, which Scott insisted were slippers, regardless of protests. They were described as something you could “put the bins out in”, possibly with socks, definitely with granddad energy. After admitting everyone in the office had been staring at her feet because they’d heard the show, Ellie announced the slippers had now been “banished from public life”. They are now strictly house-only. Fashion chat escalated further with the return of skinny jeans, carrot jeans, barrel jeans, and — worst of all — the ballet pump. Ellie recalled needing spare socks when visiting people because “your feet would smell so bad”, with Scott agreeing January was absolutely not ballet pump season. Singing names, listener messages and zero tolerance for misery After Sabrina Carpenter, listeners messaged in about slippers having USB-C chargers, ballet pumps making toes curl, and accusations that Ellie suspiciously took time off when snooker was on. Scott shut that down immediately. Whitney Houston led into a moment where Ellie suggested singing your name to “I’m Every Woman”, which worked perfectly for “I’m Ellie Brennan” and “Aunt Tina Dehealy” but absolutely did not work for Scott, who declared, “It’s my song, guys.” Scott then formally declared the show the happiest place on the radio and asked for clips that always make people laugh. Blue Monday was “a load of rubbish” and they were “banishing the blues” regardless. Old clips, Tony, and AI Ellie meltdown Listener requests poured in, including the infamous Tony from the quiz — “What was your name again?” — which Scott replayed with delight. Another favourite emerged quickly: the mocked-up AI Ellie clip, particularly Tina’s reaction. Scott reintroduced it by reminding everyone they joke AI will take their jobs, before replaying Tina completely losing it and Scott pleading, “Tina, it’s not that funny, my job’s at stake here.” Scott noted he could still see Tina on the newsroom camera laughing afterwards. Good Morning Minute only, thank you very much Scott then demanded a “really good” Good Morning Minute. No complaints allowed. What followed was exactly that: tax returns completed, new schools started, braces coming off, brownies baked, swimming lessons, retirement plans, coffee, dogs, grandchildren, and wedding dress shopping. Scott noted the sky was already getting lighter and said, “brighter days are coming”. Pause for Thought: Mum, eyes, and quiet tears Rabbi Miriam Laurie joined for Pause for Thought, sharing a story about her optometrist mum, childhood mischief during eye tests, and how her mother had just retired after nearly 40 years. Miriam spoke about eyesight, listening, and care, saying her mum helped patients far beyond the appointment time. Scott quietly reacted throughout, ending with, “I love that you didn’t tell your mum about this,” before admitting his own recent eye test had blurred into endless “one or two… similar… three or four”. The post 19 January 2025: AI Ellie panic, slippers banned and Blue Monday rejected first appeared on Unofficial Mills.View the full article