Latest news about BBC Radio 2

BBC Radio 2 reveals the UK’s best selling ABBA studio album - Arrival

BBC Radio 2’s special programme, Let’s ABBA Party! with Nicki Chapman, revealed that ABBA’s 1976 album Arrival - which features hit songs such as Dancing Queen, Knowing Me Knowing You and Money, Money, Money - is the band’s best-selling studio album in the UK to date. The programme, which also featured brand new interviews with Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, revealed a specially commissioned chart, ranking the UK sales of ABBA’s eight studio albums, from Waterloo to The Visitors.

Andrew Ridgeley to host Bank Holiday special on BBC Radio 2

Andrew Ridgeley is hosting a special 80s music show on BBC Radio 2 next month. He’ll make his radio presenting with Andrew Ridgeley’s 80s’ Playlist on Monday 6th May from 5pm till 7pm. Andrew will be playing the tracks that mean the most to him from the decade and sharing his own memories and stories from the era in which he dominated the pop charts as one half of Wham!, alongside George Michael.

Zoe Ball & Margot James confirmed for Radio Festival 2019 line-up

BBC Radio 2 Breakfast host Zoe Ball and Digital Minister Margot James have been added to the line-up of this year’s Radio Festival, joining already-announced Simon Mayo. Zoe Ball will open the Radio Academy event this year talking to Paddy O’Connell about her old Radio 1 days, history repeating itself as she stepped into Chris Evans’s shoes and taking on Radio 2 breakfast, alongside her love of radio.

Radio professionals head to Student Radio event in Swansea

A number of radio presenters, producers and management are in sharing their experience and knowledge with students in Swansea this week. The annual Student Radio Conference is taking place over three days, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and has a line-up to rival most other industry events. Radio presenters giving up their time include Greg James, Adele Roberts, Aled Hayden Jones, Stephanie Hirst, Matt Edmondson, Mollie King, Tim Cocker, Will Manning, Vicki Blight, Trevor Nelson, Tom Swarbrick, Alex Mansuroglu and Sam Darlaston.

Commercial radio ignored in Greatest Radio Shows list

The Radio Times has named what it considers to be the ’30 greatest radio shows of all time’ – but every single one is a BBC programme. The magazine’s new edition contains a six-page feature counting down the shows – from Radio 3’s Private Passions at number 30 to Desert Island Discs at number 1. But the feature has attracted criticism that no commercial radio shows are included. Former radio executive John Myers wrote on Twitter: “I’m sorry, but this is the most insulting and ill informed article on radio I’ve read in a long time."...

Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Greg James increases listeners by more than 300,000

The Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Greg James has increased listeners by more than 300,000 in his first full quarter. Latest Rajar data shows since Greg James started on the Radio 1 Breakfast Show, there has been an increase of listeners aged 10+ to 5.59m (Monday-Thursday), from 5.28m last quarter. The same period (17 September-16 December 2018) has also seen a record for digital listening, with the proportion of digital listening now at 52.6%...

Fearne Cotton gets Radio 2 Breakfast cover job

Fearne Cotton will deputise for Zoe Ball when she takes holidays from the Radio 2 breakfast show, with comedian Matt Lucas looking after the show on Bank Holidays. Zoe announced the news this morning, with Fearne coming in to the studio for a chat about it as well as talking about hosting Popmaster and how Fearne used to be a big fan of Live & Kicking.

The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show launches BBC Radio 2’s 500 Words competition

The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show today launched BBC Radio 2’s 500 Words 2019, the short-story writing competition for children aged between 5-13 years of age. Zoe revealed that this year’s live final will take place in the spectacular surroundings of Windsor Castle on Friday 14 June. Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall returns as an Honorary Judge and, to mark today’s launch, features in a specially-created animation. The competition is now open and the closing date for entries is 7pm on Thursday 8 March. Full details are...

Chris Evans on Virgin Radio – same show, different station

Chris Evans returned to the radio this morning with the same show, different station. The Chris Evans Breakfast Show on Virgin Radio has the same jingles, most of the same people, and the same energy from his BBC Radio 2 show which is finished on December 24th. The first song, Lucky Man, was played live by Richard Ashcroft, followed by Queen’s Dont Stop Me Now.

Zoe Ball on taking over Radio 2’s Breakfast Show: “I’ve got my work cut out – but I’m ready for it”

She may have had missed a few early stars during her Radio 1 present days, but Radio 2's new breakfast show host says she's 'not the same Zoe from 20 years ago'. When Zoe Ball finished her final Radio 1 breakfast show in 2000, after two-and-a-half years of burning the candle at both ends...