Latest news about BBC Radio 2

BBC Radio 2 celebrates 50 years of pop performances

BBC Radio 2 is marking 50 years of pop music performances on the BBC with In Concert 50. From Fleetwood Mac and Bill Withers in the 70s to Craig David, Florence and the Machine and Sam Smith in the 21st Century, In Concert on the BBC in sound and vision has charted the history of popular music and this month of special archive shows and performances looks back across 50 years. From Sunday 1 November, all 50 performances are on BBC Sounds, with a special 10 artist Box Set available to watch on BBC iPlayer. BBC Four broadcasts Dido (Friday 30 October) and Seal (Friday 13 November) as TV-first In Concert exclusives. Dido performs at the BBC’s Maida Vale Studios from 2019...

Radio 2 challenges Joe Wicks to 24 hour workout

Joe Wicks will attempt to workout for 24 hours in aid of Children in Need on BBC Radio 2 this year. Appearing on Thursday’s Zoe Ball Breakfast Show, Joe announced his 24 Hour PE Challenge will start at 9.25am on Thursday 12 November, endeavouring to finish a day later at 9.25am on Friday 13 November. Joe will be at the BBC Studios in London and viewers can watch live on the Red Button and BBC iPlayer across the 24 hours. The final moments of Joe’s challenge on the morning of the BBC Children in Need Appeal day, from 9.05am-9.25am, will stream live on YouTube with schools up and down the country joining...

BBC Radio 2 to celebrate John Lennon At 80

BBC Radio 2 has secured an exclusive interview with Julian Lennon, Paul McCartney and Elton John chatting to Sean Ono Lennon. John Lennon would have turned 80 years old on Friday 9 October and in these special shows, John Lennon At 80, his youngest son Sean will present a celebratory, musical, family portrait of the legendary musician. Sean and Julian talk personally about their father and how he taught them about music. Julian recalls his dad buying him a guitar when he was around 11 years old and how it helped him get into music. Paul McCartney shares his memories of meeting John, talking about the combination of him and John, saying:...

BBC Radio 2 to find the Ultimate 80s Album

BBC Radio 2’s Sounds Of The 80s has launched an audience vote to discover the Ultimate 80s Album. It comes in preparation for this year’s National Album Day on Saturday 10 October when iconic albums of the 80s will be celebrated. The Top 50 has already been selected by a Radio 2 panel of music experts and is based on the best-selling albums of the decade, along with those that have endured to this day, as well as some slow-burners that are now considered classics of the era. Listeners are being asked to vote for their favourite album from the list of 50 and Gary Davies will reveal the results in a Sounds Of The 80s Ultimate 80s Albums countdown special, from 8pm on Friday 9 October on BBC Radio 2...

Acts announced for BBC Radio 2 Live at Home

BBC Radio 2’s replacement for Proms in the Park and Live in Hyde Park this year will take place online and the line-up has just been announced by Zoe Ball. Sheryl Crow, Craig David, Erasure, Sir Tom Jones, The Killers, John Legend, McFly, Gregory Porter, The Pretenders and Nile Rodgers & CHIC feat. Rebecca Ferguson will perform exclusively for Radio 2 Live at Home which will be broadcast on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th September across radio, TV and online. On Saturday 12 September, Jo Whiley will host Radio 2 Live at Home on Radio 2 and BBC Sounds from 7-8pm, Rylan Clark-Neal will host from 8-9pm and Fearne Cotton from 9-10pm. Saturday’s show will...

BBC Radio 2 reveals Wonderwall by Oasis is the UK’s official best-selling Britpop song

Oasis were crowned the Kings of Britpop on Bank Holiday Monday on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds as Britpop Top 50 with Jo Whiley counted down the UK’s 50 best-selling Britpop songs of the 90s. Using exclusive data from Official Charts Company, Wonderwall by Oasis topped the chart at number one with sales of 1.4 million, followed by Don’t Look Back In Anger by Oasis in second place, with The Verve’s Bitter Sweet Symphony taking the bronze medal. Jo Whiley says: “This chart has taken me back to the glory days of the Evening Session and a time when Britpop ruled the airwaves. It’s hard to believe it’s been 25 years! Wonderwall has always been"...

Simon Mayo joins Greatest Hits Radio line-up

Scala Radio presenter Simon Mayo will do a Sunday afternoon album show on Greatest Hits Radio from next month. The former BBC Radio 2 host will be on 1-4pm on Sundays from 6th September as the brand is rolled out to local radio stations across the country. It’s addition to his six shows a week for Bauer’s sister station Scala. The station says he will be ‘indulging his passion for the finest albums, and their greatest hits, of the 70s, 80s and 90s’. ‘The Album Show with Simon Mayo’ will celebrate and explore listeners’ record collections along with a weekly Classic Album Countdown...

Scott Mills to cover the big show on BBC Radio 2

Scott Mills will be covering for Steve Wright on BBC Radio 2 when he takes a week off later this month. Scott has been on the station in the past hosting specials, and has also covered Rylan and Claudia Winkleman but this will be his first stint covering weekday afternoons. Steve’s regular stand-in, Craig Charles is busy filming new ITV series, Don’t Rock The Boat. Jordan North will cover the BBC Radio 1 afternoon show while Scott sits-in for Steve Wright...

Fifty years of Bob Harris on air to be marked at Radio 2

Greg James will interview radio legend Bob Harris about his 50 years in broadcasting as part of the BBC Radio 2 summer schedules. The programme called ‘Bob And Greg’ airs on Saturday 22nd August at 9pm. The Radio 1 Breakfast presenter grew up with Bob’s famous whispering voice coming out of the radios at home as his father, Alan, has been a fan since Bob’s first broadcast on Radio 1 in August 1970. Greg will talk in depth to Bob about his life – including writing sleeve notes for an unknown Elton John, watching Bob Marley play, and touring with bands like Led Zeppelin; his influences and his constant search for the next big thing...

What does the BBC’s Annual Plan say about Radio?

OPINION: The BBC is required to publish its annual plan each year. Just as with every broadcaster, however – and every industry – this year’s is atypical. Even when the COVID crisis abates, life will never be the same again. My notes here focus largely on radio, but it is worth citing the general headlines from the report, which bear out Ofcom’s latest research published yesterday: “As social distancing began in the UK in the third week of March, pan-BBC reach among adults peaked at 94%. That is: 94% of the British public used the BBC that week. 86% of young adults aged 16-34 used the BBC that week, up from 77% the week before”...