What to expect from Vernon Kay on his new BBC Radio 2 show

It’s all change on BBC Radio 2 next week as Vernon Kay launches his brand-new mid-morning show on the station.

Vernon joins his former Radio 1 colleagues Zoe Ball, Scott Mills and Sara Cox as a part of the daytime line-up on Radio 2.

Replacing Ken Bruce is no mean feat, so what can we expect from Vernon, adding a new sound to the station?

He’s aware of how big a deal this is – in a recent interview with the i Newspaper, he said he didn’t think he was nervous although admitted to being a little apprehensive at stepping into Ken’s shoes but joked that “it’s only talking”.

“The longer I wait, the more tricks my mind is starting to play on me. I’ve done nothing but listen to Ken. That vibe, that atmosphere he can create, it is so good,” he told the newspaper.

There has been some negativity, with some thinking Vernon is too young to take over the show, but he recently turned 49 while Ken was 39 when he did his first stint on mid-mornings. As for the grief he’s had, Kay joked: “It’s the best trolling I’ve ever had.”

He says he’s taking an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach to the show. “The numbers speak for themselves; it’s one of the biggest radio shows in Europe,” he says.

The Record and Album of the Week will continue, as will the new quiz, Ten to the Top, which has had time to bed in with listeners while Gary Davies has been taking care of the show for the last few weeks.

Tracks of my Years is still there, with Vernon’s first guest being Suggs from Madness going on a ten-song journey through his colourful life. His first two tracks come from Frank Sinatra and The Clash.

The Radio 2 Piano Room will see Def Leppard perform this coming Thursday, 18 May and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds on Thursday 1 June, both accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra.

It’ll be a fine balance between not changing things too much and making the show his own, but as he tells the i Newspaper: “I want the show to have real energy, so you think ‘where’s that two-and-a-half hours gone?’ I don’t mean me being all hyperactive – in that time slot, the listeners are going about their daily business. It’s more of a show you listen to than interact with, and I want people to feel comfortable when they’re listening.”

Vernon is a seasoned broadcaster with a lot of radio experience under his belt. Time will tell, but chances are that given time to bed-in, the Vernon Kay mid-morning show will feel right as part of the evolution of Radio 2.

You can read the full interview with Vernon in the i Newspaper here.