Sara Cox has officially taken the helm of BBC Radio 2’s flagship breakfast programme, appealing to listeners to "show me some love" as she launched into her new role.
The Bolton-born DJ kicked off her inaugural show on Monday morning with Lizzo’s “About Damn Time”, marking her permanent tenure as host of the biggest breakfast slot in the country.
Listeners were also treated to “Three Lions” by David Baddiel, Frank Skinner, and The Lightning Seeds, a celebratory nod to England’s recent 3-2 victory against Mexico at the World Cup.
Cox began her programme by engaging directly with her audience, reading out early messages and encouraging further interaction. "It is a Monday. It’s my first show, and your favourite DJ, me feeling little bit clingy, as per, and I want some love," she shared.
She also recounted a humorous anecdote involving her husband, Ben Cyzer, and his attempt to avoid football spoilers.
"Spoiler alert, I might mention the football just for six seconds, and then come back to me, but my husband last night slept downstairs so I could get a good night’s sleep, and he was like, ‘I’m gonna wake up in the morning, I’m gonna watch the footy highlights, so don’t tell me who won, don’t tell me the score or anything’," Cox explained. "So he’s laying in the front room and he just wakes up, and he hears a football fan coming down the street, ‘Where were you when we won 3-2?’ And he’s like, ‘no!'"
Cox extended her gratitude to Gary Davies, who had stepped in to cover the slot after Scott Mills’ departure in March.
Mills’ contract with the corporation was terminated following allegations about his personal conduct, bringing his three-decade career with the BBC to a sudden end.
"For the past few months, a legend has been doing breakfast, and we can’t not say thank you to him this morning," she said. "He was parachuted in. He did a proper shift. The one, the only, you love him, Mr Gary Davies."
The show’s playlist also featured tracks such as Olivia Rodrigo’s “Stupid Song”, Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” and CeCe Peniston’s “Finally”, ahead of her first celebrity guest, Hollywood actor Tom Hanks.
Cox’s appointment to the weekday breakfast slot (6.30 am-9.30 am) was announced in April, following her previous role hosting the station’s teatime show (4 pm-7 pm). Listeners can tune into Sara Cox’s breakfast show on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds.
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