Sara Cox felt a “little clingy” and asked listeners to “show me some love” during her first Radio 2 Breakfast Show on Monday, July 6, 2026. The Bolton DJ kicked off the show at 6:31am with a cheerful greeting: “It is 6:31am. It’s The Sara Cox Breakfast Show! Monday 6th July 2026. Hello to your howdys, to your dafts of…come on! You know the nonsense I love.”
Admitting to first-day nerves, she said: “It's my first show and your favourite DJ, me, feeling a little bit clingy, as per, and I want some love.”
Subtle Messages Through Music
Cox had long coveted the Breakfast Show gig, and her choice of music suggested it may have taken a while for BBC bosses to take notice. She opened with Lizzo’s About Damn Time, followed by CeCe Peniston’s Finally, and played a snippet of Etta James’s At Last. Teasing on air, she said: “Kicked off with About Damn Time, this is Finally... CeCe Peniston. No message in the music, don’t be silly! No, come on, that's too self-indulgent!”
She also played Three Lions by David Baddiel, Frank Skinner, and The Lightning Seeds to celebrate England’s World Cup victory over Mexico.
Personal Touches and Special Guest
Cox revealed that her husband Ben had “slept downstairs so I could get a good night’s sleep,” but with an ulterior motive of watching football highlights in the morning. She recounted: “He’s laying in the front room... and hears a football fan coming down the street, ‘where were you when we won 3-2,’ and he’s like ‘nooo!’”
Her first guest was Hollywood legend Tom Hanks, who insisted on calling her “Sari” for no reason other than he can. Hanks revealed he no longer carries a smartphone, explaining it saves him time: “I do not have a web browser on my phone... I can send texts and take photographs. But I do not have any... you know what happens - I end up saving so much time because I get on my phone and say, 'hey, I saw this on YouTube and thought you might enjoy it'. 20 minutes later, I have my... 'I can't do that until I get back to the house'.”
Celebration and Sign-Off
After the show, Cox celebrated with a large cake shaped like fried eggs on toast. She signed off with Natalie Cole’s Wild Women Do and handed over to colleague Vernon Kaye. Catch Sara Cox weekdays on Radio 2 from 6:30am.
