Vanessa Feltz to leave BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio London

Listeners were surprised to hear Vanessa Feltz announce on her Radio 2 show this morning that she has decided to leave the station in August.

She will also be leaving her BBC Radio London Breakfast Show after nearly 20 years.

Vanessa says: “I have loved every moment with my Radio 2 ‘Early Birds’ and will miss my Lovely Listeners, Jolly Good Fellows and beloved friends and colleagues at Radio 2 with all my heart. However, after almost 12 blissful years, I now need to step down to catch up on a much needed decade’s deficit of beauty sleep!

“It’s been an honour and privilege to be the Breakfast voice of BBC Radio London for 20 years and although I’m leaving the show, I’ll continue to expect hugs from my lovely listeners when I see them on the streets of London!

“I will enjoy a dollop of energy-boosting shut-eye to swing from zip-lines with my three effervescent grandchildren and frolic with my fiancé Ben, who irritatingly remains 10 years younger than me!”

Helen Thomas, Head of Radio 2, says: “For almost 12 years, Vanessa has made her live weekday Early Breakfast Show her very own kingdom, and I’d like to thank her wholeheartedly for the thousands of middle-of-the-night starts she’s made to entertain the Radio 2 listeners. On behalf of them, as well as everyone in Wogan House, I’d like to send Lady V our very best wishes for the future.”

Vanessa began presenting the Radio 2 Early Breakfast Show in January 2011, from 5am-6.30am, which was extended to 4am from January 2021.

Her last Radio 2 Early Morning Breakfast Show will be tomorrow, Friday 29 July. After taking a two-week break, Vanessa will cover for Jeremy Vine for two weeks (w/c 15 and 22 August, noon–2pm) as planned, and then leave Radio 2 on Friday 26 August.

Vanessa will present her last Breakfast Show on BBC Radio London on Friday 26 August.

Radio 2 and BBC Radio London will announce their new respective morning schedules at a later date.