Latest news about BBC Radio 2

Zoe Ball launches BBC Radio 2’s Big Bee Challenge

Breakfast presenter Zoe Ball has announced BBC Radio 2’s new initiative to shine a light on the plight of our bee population. The Big Bee Challenge launches today with a competition for children to design a garden that will attract bees and other pollinating insects, with the winning design being built at an NHS Trust site which is used by children and young people with mental health needs...

Ken Bruce repeats All Day PopMaster radio challenge

Ken Bruce will be hosting another All Day PopMaster on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds this May Bank Holiday Monday (Monday 31st May). He’ll be pitting celebrity quiz brains against listeners with everyone vying to be crowned only the second-ever All Day PopMaster Champion. Among the well-known quizzers taking part across the day are Jeremy Vine, The Dark Destroyer (aka Shaun Wallace of ITV’s The Chase), Zoe Lyons (BBC Two’s Lightning), Richard Osman...

BBC Radio 2 reveals UK’s favourite Eurovision song

ABBA’s Waterloo has been revealed as the UK public’s favourite Eurovision song following an online vote by Radio 2. Making Your Mind Up by Bucks Fizz came in second, Love Shine a Light by Katrina and the Waves came third, with Brotherhood of Man’s Save Your Kisses for Me in fourth, and Sandie Shaw with Puppet on a String coming fifth. Voters were asked to select between three and fifteen of their favourite Eurovision songs from the last...

Hear the new Wisebuddah Zoe Ball jingles here

Zoe Ball has a new package of jingles from Wisebuddah on her BBC Radio 2 breakfast show from today. Wisebuddah has also created two new themes for Claudia Winkleman’s new Radio 2 programme which can be heard every Saturday. Four new themes have been produced for Zoe Ball, which are described as a contemporary pop dance take on her fun jazz hands style and love of disco and swing. The tracks, which continue to sing The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show, contain live drums, horns, bass and guitars...

April Fool’s Day on Heart, BBC Radio 2, and more

April Fool’s Day pranks have been played on listeners and presenters across the UK once again this year. Including on Heart where Amanda Holden was pranked by her co-workers when she was led to believe she was responsible for a marriage proposal gone wrong live on the air. Watch the short video below to see the whole thing unfold. Also at Heart, Olly Murs pranked evening show presenter Mark Wright by having Mark’s car wrapped in an image of Olly, naked. See how that went down here...

BBC Radio 2 to give away VIP Camp Bestival experience

Zoe Ball announced BBC Radio 2’s Text To Win prize which will be raising money for this year’s Comic Relief. During Breakfast on Monday morning, Zoe revealed to listeners that, “This week, you could be in with the chance of winning the staycation of a century at this summer’s Camp Bestival. “We’ve sorted out VIP tickets to the festival – for either a family of 2 adults and up to 4 kids, or a ticket for you and 3 mates – to stay at Lulworth Castle, on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast. You’ll spend 4 nights sleeping under the stars in a luxury Tipi in the premium Backstage Camping area, from Thursday the 29th of July to Sunday the 1st of August 2021.”...

Ken Bruce named as Britain’s favourite radio presenter

BBC Radio 2 presenter Ken Bruce has been named as Britain’s favourite radio presenter in a new poll. Capital’s Roman Kemp takes second place with BBC Radio 2’s Zoe Ball in third. Chris Evans takes 4th and Jeremy Vine is in 5th place. Research carried out by digital radio manufacturer Pure also shows millions more Brits have turned to radio since the pandemic, regarding it as a trusted source of breaking news and instant information. Ken Bruce takes the top spot, despite not making the Top 10 in the same survey last year. Here’s how the top 10 shapes up...

Vernon Kay to host Super Bowl LV on BBC Radio 5 Live

The Super Bowl is back on BBC Radio 5 Live for the first time in five years with a new show hosted by Vernon Kay. Live radio coverage of the showdown between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs begins this Sunday at 11pm on 5 Live and BBC Sounds. BBC One will also provide live TV coverage from 11.30pm. Vernon Kay, a frequent visitor to Super Bowl as a fan and broadcaster, is also a former player himself with the London Warriors. His last regular radio show was with Radio X four years ago but he’s also covering on BBC Radio 2 at the moment...

BBC Radio 2 presenters get in the musicals mood

Presenters from BBC Radio 2 have been dressing up ahead of the station celebrating musicals this weekend. Zoe Ball, Sara Cox and Ken Bruce all dressed up as characters to mark a weekend of only songs from musical theatre, stage and screen all day from 5am-7pm. In the Breakfast Show on Friday, Zoe will be leading a sing-a-long of three songs from musicals and is encouraging listeners to get dressed up as their favourite musicals character for it. There will be musicals themes and guests across all the Radio 2 shows on Saturday and Sunday, culminating in Musicals: The Greatest Show on Sunday night hosted by Sheridan Smith...

BBC Radio 2 celebrates musicals with BBC One

Musicals: The Greatest Show is coming to BBC Radio 2 forming part of three days of special programmes about the stage and screen. Hosted on radio and television by performer Sheridan Smith, the initiative puts the songs, the shows, and the stars, back on stage at the London Palladium. It will be broadcast from 7pm – 9pm on Sunday 31 January on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds, and as a 75-minute show in February on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. From Friday 29 January to Sunday 31 January, for Radio 2 Celebrates Musicals the station has lined up an array of music, programmes and documentaries...