Sara Cox’s opening months hosting the BBC Radio 2 breakfast show saw audience figures remain stable, according to the latest industry data.
Cox took over as permanent presenter of the show on July 6, replacing Scott Mills, who was sacked by the BBC at the end of March shortly before it emerged the Metropolitan Police had launched an investigation into the DJ in 2016 over allegations of serious sexual offences involving a teenage boy under 16 between 1997 and 2000.
The programme recorded an average weekly listenership of 6.44 million between July and September.
This represents a slight increase from the 6.37 million registered across April to June, when Gary Davies filled in as host.
Figures from research organisation Rajar show the broadcast remains the UK's most popular radio programme for that morning slot.
Kate Philips, BBC chief content officer, said she was “delighted” for Cox and the Radio 2 breakfast team, adding: “These results underline the strength of BBC radio, which continues to bring audiences together through outstanding live events, trusted journalism and world-class music.”
Overall, Radio 2 retains its standing as the country’s most listened-to station, drawing an average weekly audience of 12.67 million, up from 12.37 million in the prior quarter.
In contrast, Radio 4’s Today programme recorded a drop from 5.61 million to 5.29 million listeners, marking its lowest quarterly total since Rajar resumed reporting after the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021.
Elsewhere, 5 Live’s breakfast show gained ground, rising from 1.33 million to 1.43 million listeners over a period coinciding with the final weeks of the 2026 World Cup.
Two of the BBC’s three new digital spin-off stations also saw an increase in their weekly audience.
Radio 1 Anthems rose from 584,000 to 630,000 listeners and Radio 1 Dance climbed from 615,000 to 645,000, while Radio 3 Unwind slipped from 408,000 to 382,000.
All three stations have been available on digital radio since September 2025.
Ms Philips added: “Audiences spent 423 million hours with radio, podcasts and music on BBC Sounds, demonstrating the continued value of our content across live and on-demand listening.
“From another exceptional Proms season to Radio 5 Live breakfast’s World Cup-driven growth, it’s been a hugely successful summer across our networks.”
Radio 3 saw a small increase in its audience in the latest Rajar figures, up from 1.88 million in April-June to 1.96 million in July-September.
There were 1.41 million weekly listeners to Radio 4 Extra, down very slightly from 1.43 million.
The BBC recently announced that Radio 4 Extra will close next year as part of the corporation’s ongoing plan to make savings of £500 million by 2028.
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