Latest news about BBC Radio 2

Eurovision 2020 on the BBC

There may be no actual contest happening this year, but the BBC is promising plenty of Eurovision content across TV, radio and online in celebration of the biggest music competition in the world. From a night of special programmes celebrating this year’s contest on BBC One, to revisiting classic moments on BBC Two and a host of specially themed programmes and treats from the archives to enjoy on BBC Radio 2, there will be a host of Eurovision content for fans to look forward to this May. Familiar Eurovision faces including Graham Norton, Ken Bruce, Rylan Clark-Neal and many more will help bring Eurovision joy into homes across the country, uniting and entertaining viewers with plenty of Eurovision programmes and specials in store...

Grand Award for BBC Radio 2’s Beatles documentary

Howlett Media Productions has won the Grand Award at the New York Festivals for a documentary about The Beatles made for BBC Radio 2. Beatles historian Kevin Howlett earned the prize for his musical documentary celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Abbey road. He wrote and produced two documentaries that went deep into the creation of the last album the Beatles recorded together. Himesh Patel, star of the movie Yesterday, presented it, and it was broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in the UK and SIRIUS XM in the States. Kevin said: “It is such an honour to have Abbey Road Phase One and Phase Two recognised in this way by an international Grand Jury of very talented radio people...

Radio 1 makes Stay Home Live Lounge to raise money

BBC Radio 1 is to record its biggest ever Live Lounge for charity amid the coronavirus crisis, featuring Dua Lipa, Chris Martin, AJ Tracey, Rita Ora, Ellie Goulding and more. The Stay Home Live Lounge will be broadcast for the first time across Radio 1, Radio 2, 1Xtra, 6Music and Asian Network from midday on Thursday 23 April and will see some of the music industry’s biggest stars collaborate on a cover of Foo Fighters’ ‘Times Like These’ to raise money for charities, with the accompanying video to receive its world exclusive premiere during BBC One’s The Big Night In...

BBC Radio 2 names most played song of the decade

Pharrell’s Happy has been named the No 1 track in the Most Played Songs of the Decade programme broadcast on BBC Radio 2. Scott Mills counted down the Top 40 songs that have been played the most on UK radio and television since 2010, on Bank Holiday Monday from 2-5pm. Pharrell recorded an exclusive video message just for the programme in which he says: “Thank you, thank you. It is incredibly humbling to think that Happy is the most played song across radio in the UK for the past decade. “When I was a little boy hearing those letters, UK, and thinking about the culture and seeing all of my favourite artists that I loved as a child go over and perform big concerts and festivals – I just never ever thought that anything that I would ever do would be part of that history...

Virgin Radio to air Pete Mitchell tribute this weekend

A special show to celebrate the life and career of radio presenter Pete Mitchell, hosted by Chris Evans, will be broadcast on Virgin Radio UK on Sunday evening. Pete died suddenly last month, aged just 61, while out walking near his home in Stockport. His 34 years in radio as a presenter and producer had seen him work at stations including Piccadilly Radio, Key 103, Virgin, Radio 2, 6 Music and Absolute Radio. Perhaps most famous for his partnership with Geoff Lloyd on Virgin Radio in the 2000s, he’d most recently been making ‘Revolutions in Music’ documentaries for the new Virgin Radio...

BBC Radio stations unite for Great British Singalong

The BBC’s national music stations are uniting on Thursday for the Great British Singalong designed to lift the nation’s spirits. BBC Radio 1, Radio 2, 6 Music, 1Xtra and the Asian Network will come together at 9am this Thursday, with each station bringing along one song that they think the public will love to join in with, wherever they are. Greg James will be leading the singalong on Radio 1 with Dermot O’Leary (who is covering for Zoe Ball) on Radio 2, Lauren Laverne on 6 Music, Dotty on 1Xtra, and Harpz Kaur on the Asian Network. Ahead of Thursday morning, each station will be asking their listeners which track they should bring to the singalong, but the final song choices will lie with each of the presenters...

Audio: Radio industry unites to thank the NHS

Radio stations all over the UK came together to thank NHS workers during the coronavirus pandemic. A mass applause, coordinated under the #clapforourcarers hashtag on social media, showed the country’s gratitude to all the nurses, doctors, GPs, carers and many others working tirelessly to help fight the virus. Industry body Radiocentre encouraged stations from every corner of the UK to take part, with stations including Heart, Capital, LBC, Hits Radio, Absolute Radio, BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2 and 5 Live, and Nation Radio, encouraged their millions of listeners to join the applause at their windows, front doors and balconies...

Radio stations to unite with You’ll Never Walk Alone

You’ll Never Walk Alone will be played out simultaneously on a number of radio stations this Friday morning. NPO 3FM presenter Sander Hoogendoorn had the idea to bring all radio stations in the Netherlands together during the corona crisis, but now BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2 and dozens more across Europe are joining in. Bauer’s Greatest Hits Radio will play the tune during Breakfast with Simon Ross from Liverpool, along with the Breakfast shows on Hits Radio stations in England, plus Country Hits Radio...

Radio 2’s OB from C2C now a studio based show after festival cancellation

Following the cancellation of C2C at London’s O2 tomorrow (Saturday 14 March), BBC Radio 2’s live outside broadcast from the event won’t be happening. The global pandemic of COVID-19 has forced the organisers of the Country to Country Festival 2020 to postpone it. They say that they hope to reschedule it at a later date. Radio 2 was due at the event to broadcast the full headline set from Darius Rucker plus music and interviews from Old Dominion, Old Crow Medicine Show and Runaway June...

Sara Cox & Frankie Wells host equality podcast series

BBC Radio 2’s Sara Cox and podcaster Frankie Wells are the hosts of a new series of podcasts to celebrate International Women’s Day. Each for Equal, produced by PodcastWorks, brings together women from the worlds of journalism, business and entertainment; including Katie Thistleton, Mariam Khan, India Willoughby, Shola Kaye, and Helen Lederer. To celebrate International Women’s Day, each episode will focus on a particular issue, deemed most relevant by each guest, concerning female equality in 2020...