Radio 2 has finally filled its Drivetime slot after Sara Cox replaced Scott Mills as its Breakfast Show host – and it seems they’re keeping it in the BBC family.
Former Strictly Come Dancing contestant Angela Scanlon will be taking over from Cox as BBC Radio 2’s Drivetime host from November.
The Irish presenter, who competed on Strictly in 2023 with Carlos Gu, is set to host on weekdays from 4pm until 7pm, following in the footsteps of previous presenters Jo Whiley, Simon Mayo and Chris Evans among others.
“Taking over Radio 2 Drivetime is properly exciting,” Scanlon said in a statement. “Millions of people, all having completely different days, piling into the same conversation for a few hours - what a strange and lovely thing!
“Every weekday, I’ll be in your ears, your cars and your kitchens - on the school run, on the way home, or standing at the hob wondering what on earth to feed a small but hungry mob. I want all of it: the stories, the opinions, the chaos, the tiny triumphs and the things you probably shouldn’t admit on national radio.”
She added that being wedged in the schedules by “absolute radio legends” Trevor Nelson and Jo Whiley is “quite the sandwich”.
The 43-year-old started her presenting career in Irish TV before with RTÉ One shows Off the Rails and Xposé, before joining The One Show as a reporter. She began hosting BBC Two’s Your Home Made Perfect in 2019 before joining the cast of Strictly Come Dancing in 2023, making it to sixth place.
Scanlon was among those rumoured to be replacing Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly on Strictly following their exits last year, however the gig went to ex pro Johannes Radebe, comedian Josh Widdicombe and Emma Willis instead.
This won’t be her first stint on BBC Radio 2, with the presenter having hosted Sunday mornings from 4am until 6am for three years until 2021. She recently returned to sit in for Cox on the Drivetime show after she moved over to host BBC Radio 2’s breakfast slot.
In April, Cox was announced as the new host of BBC Radio 2’s Breakfast Show following the sudden firing of Scott Mills. He was axed from the BBC following allegations about his personal conduct, bringing an end to his three-decade career with the corporation.
The BBC fired Mills in March after receiving “new information” regarding the police’s investigation into allegations of serious sexual offences about the presenter in 2016, with the alleged victim having been under 16. He was questioned under caution in July 2018, however the police closed the investigation after the Crown Prosecution Service found that “the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges”.
In July, it was revealed that Mills had been the BBC’s highest-paid employee until his firing, earning between £745,000 and £749,999 for the year ending in March 2026 as per the BBC’s Annual Report.
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