Scott Mills will replace Zoe Ball as the BBC‘s Radio 2 breakfast show presenter from next year.
Ball just announced on her show that the long-time BBC radio presenter will take over her show, which attracts millions of listeners per week. She has used her radio show this morning to both announce her departure and unveil Mills as her replacement.
Mills presents a show in the afternoons for Radio 2 at present. His Scott Mills Show ran on Radio 1 between 2004 and 2022. Trevor Nelson will take over from Mills in the weekday afternoons.Zoe Ball, the BBC’s second highest-paid presenter, is stepping down from her Radio 2 breakfast show after six years.
She is the second high-profile BBC broadcaster to announce they are leaving their main show following Gary Lineker’s announcement a fortnight ago. She will remain with the BBC, with more news early next year on what she will do next.
Ball made the announcement on her show this morning and her final appearance will be Friday December 20.
“After six incredible years on the Radio 2 Breakfast Show, it’s time for me to step away from the very early mornings and focus on family,” she said. “It’s been a privilege. I think the world of you listeners and I’m grateful to my bosses here for their support, especially this year.”
Radio 2 boss Helen Thomas thanked Ball “for approaching each show with as much vim and vigour as if it were her first.”
Ball’s slot in the mornings on Radio 2 is one of the BBC’s most lucrative. As per the latest BBC annual report, she was the corporation’s second top-paid presenter, earning between £950,000 ($1.2M) and £954,999 last year. This places her second behind Lineker, who is also exiting his main BBC show, Match of the Day, in a few months’ time. As with Ball, Lineker is remaining with the BBC to lead other soccer coverage.
Ball replaced Chris Evans helming the breakfast gig in 2018 when he departed to Virgin Radio. She had first joined BBC radio in 1997 as the co-host of the Radio 1 Breakfast Show, becoming the first woman to host that program solo a year later. In 2006, she joined Radio 2 to present documentaries and other shows. From 2009 to 2012, she presented the Saturday early morning breakfast show, returning permanently to Radio 2 in 2017 as the host of the Saturday afternoon show.
What we know as Zoe Ball replaced by Scott Mills on Radio 2 breakfast show
Zoe Ball was the host of her breakfast show for six years
BBC Radio 2’s Zoe Ball is stepping down from her breakfast show to focus on her family as she announced Scott Mills is taking over.
The 53-year-old — who is the mother to Woody, 23, and Nelly, 14 — will present her final breakfast show in December after being on air for six years, since taking over the role from Chris Evans.
Her incredible career milestones so far includes Ball becoming the first female host of the Radio 1 Breakfast Show in 1998, a post she held until the year 2000. Plus Ball was named the highest paid on-air female presenter, earning between £950,000 and £954,999 in 2023/2024, according to the BBC’s annual report.She broke the news about leaving on air saying: “I’ve decided it’s time to step away from the early alarm call and start a new chapter. You know I think the world of you all listeners and it truly has been such a privilege to share the mornings with you.” The presenter previously revealed she set her alarm at 4am to host the breakfast show.
Scott Mills is replacing Zoe Ball
Ball introduced the new radio host as her close friend Mills, also the winner of Celebrity Race Across the World. She teased: “He’s a dear friend of mine, I can tell you we first met back in the 90s he was a total baby face, I was a bit older than him. We did the Strictly Come Dancing tour together. I got to see him marry the love of his life. He’s had quite the year.”
She added: “Scott and I go way back to our Radio 1 days, when he was doing early mornings before me. He’s been a close friend for years, and I’m beyond thrilled it’s him taking over the Breakfast Show.
“Breakfast has always been his dream, and what a year he’s had – from racing around the world to his beautiful wedding to Sam. He’s not only a blooming brilliant producer but one of the best in radio. I can’t wait to tune in on the school run!”
Mills joined Ball on air and they joked about how they were finding it hard to keep it secret. He joked: “I was considering getting a burner phone like in films.”
In a statement, he said: “Zoe and I have been such good friends now for over 25 years and have spent much of that time as part of the same radio family here at Radio 2 and also on Radio 1. She’s done an incredible job on this show over the past six years, and I am beyond excited to be handed the baton.
“It feels ever since recording my first shows as a kid for an audience of one, my mum, all roads since have led to this amazing opportunity. It really is a lifelong dream come true to follow in the footsteps of Sir Terry, Chris and Zoe to be the new presenter of the Radio 2 Breakfast Show.”
Earlier this year, the Celebrity Race Across the World winner joked on the BBC reality series that he didn’t want to do the breakfast show because it was too early. Presenter Trevor Nelson will take over from Mills in the weekday afternoon slot.
In a statement, Nelson said: “It’s going to be great being on daytime. It’s the ultimate privilege as a broadcaster to entertain the nation on the biggest station in the UK every day. I’m looking to have lots of fun and will be bringing a bit of soul to the new show.”
When is Zoe Ball’s last show?
Ball revealed her last show will be “just in time for Christmas” as it will be on 20 December. Mills will take over in the new year in January. The star said she was excited to embrace mum life with the school run.
She said: “With plenty of fun and shenanigans. While I’m stepping away from the Breakfast Show, I’m not disappearing entirely – I’ll still be a part of the Radio 2 family, with more news in the New Year.
“I’m excited to embrace my next chapter, including being a mum in the mornings, and I can’t wait to tune in on the school run!”
Ball and her ex-husband Fatboy Slim raise their children Woody and Nelly together. The former couple — who were married in 1999 — go back to 1997 when they first met in the summer in Ibiza and bonded over their shared love of dance music.
They split in 2016 but their divorce was finalised in 2000 and they remain good friends.
Zoe Ball took time off
Earlier this year in March, Ball took time away from the studio when her mum Julia Peckham was diagnosed with cancer and she spent time caring for her. At the time, it was Gaby Roslin who stepped up to fill in for Ball’s breakfast show.
Ball’s mum died in April this year, with the presenter saying: “Sleep tight dear Mama.”
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