Vernon Kay has told his BBC Radio 2 listeners "not a chance" as he congratulated his friend Sara Cox on landing the prestigious Breakfast Show hosting role, replacing Scott Mills.
Vernon Kay Reacts to Sara Cox's New Role
The Bolton-born DJ, who was once the bookmakers' favourite to take over the slot, admitted there was "not a chance" he would be joining Cox on the breakfast show. Speaking on his own mid-morning show, Kay said: "Congratulations to Sara Cox, your new Radio 2 Breakfast Show host, she's going to be absolutely awesome. Without a doubt, she's going to be mega."
He then joked that the station would become "Bolton FM in the morning" and quipped about their thick Lancashire accents. "Bravo Sara, I sent a little message last night. It's going to be like Bolton FM in the morning, it really is. Doing it for the best town in the great north-west," he added, before playfully dismissing rival towns.
Kay performed a mock radio announcement in a posh accent before concluding: "No chance, not a chance. So excited, Sara on the breakfast show. Very very soon on BBC Radio 2."
Sara Cox Takes Over Prestigious Slot
Sara Cox replaces Scott Mills, who was dismissed by the BBC after new information emerged regarding a police investigation into historic sexual offences. Cox currently presents the station's teatime slot, a role she has held since 2019. The 51-year-old said she was "ecstatic, honoured and incredibly chuffed" to take over the flagship show.
"It's been a dream to host the breakfast show since I joined Radio 2 and it feels like a bit of a full circle for me," Cox said. "It takes quite a lot to make me speechless, but when I got asked to host the Radio 2 breakfast show I was momentarily lost for words."
Radio 2 Boss Praises Cox
Radio 2 boss Helen Thomas said she was "delighted" that Cox was taking over the breakfast show, adding that she "thoroughly deserves this gig." Thomas noted: "Sara is adored by her millions of listeners at teatime, and having regularly deputised in the slot, I already know she'll build a brilliant rapport with the breakfast audience and get the nation going each morning with her trademark warmth and humour."
The BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show is one of the most prestigious jobs in British radio, though Kay's mid-morning slot remains the most popular radio show in the UK.
