Owain Wyn Evans to host BBC Radio 2’s Early Breakfast

Owain Wyn Evans is the new host of Radio 2’s Early Breakfast Show, Monday to Friday 4am – 6.30am.

Owain currently presents the weather on BBC North West Tonight. Last night, he told viewers he was leaving the programme and where he was going, would be revealed in the following days.

His new show will broadcast live from the BBC Cymru Wales broadcast centre in Cardiff, making it the first Radio 2 weekday programme to move out of London.

Owain has worked as a television and radio presenter for over 20 years, and began his broadcasting career at the age of 18 as a children’s news presenter at BBC Wales, before moving on to become a weather presenter for BBC Look North (Yorkshire), BBC North West Tonight and BBC Breakfast.

Radio Cymru was his first venture into radio and from there, he went on to present shows for a number of BBC Local Radio stations including Radio York, Radio Leeds and Radio Manchester. In December 2020 Evans hosted a number of ‘in conversation with’ shows for BBC Sounds in which he interviewed stars including Little Mix, Kylie Minogue and Dolly Parton.

A keen drummer since the age of seven, Owain became known as the drumming weather man when, during lockdown in 2020, he produced a video of himself drumming to the BBC News theme tune, which was viewed tens of millions of times around the globe.

He also performed a record-breaking 24-hour Drumathon for Children In Need, which raised over £3.8m, making it the most successful 24-hour challenge in the 41-year history of BBC Children In Need.

Owain takes over from Vanessa Feltz, who stepped down from presenting the Early Morning Breakfast show in July this year to take up a position at TalkRadio/TalkTV, hosting Drivetime.

Speaking about his new show, Owain says: “When I asked my parents for a pair of turntables and a mixing desk from a DJ shop in Llanelli when I was 13. I never allowed myself to dream that one day I’d have my own show on Radio 2! I can’t wait to help kick start the day on Early Breakfast live from Cardiff. Bore da dahlings as we say in Wales!”

Helen Thomas, Head of Radio 2, says: “I’d like to welcome Owain to the Radio 2 family. His deep connection with Wales is obvious and I’m delighted he will be broadcasting live from Cardiff every weekday morning.

“His warmth and wit make him the perfect host to set up the day for our listeners right across the country, who have clearly and warmly taken him to their hearts each time he has presented in this slot.”