Zoe Ball to step down from BBC Radio 2 show next week

The 55-year-old announced the news on air today (December 13) and confirmed that Emma Willis will take over the 1pm to 3pm slot in the new year. Zoe’s final weekend show will be on December 20.

She told listeners: “I have loved being betwixt my dear friends Romesh (Ranganathan) and Rylan (Clark), and you know, I love you all to bits, but I’m not disappearing completely.

“Obviously, it’ll be Christmas Crooners and I’m doing an Eras show in the new year, more on that later.”

She described her successor as a “super woman who is no stranger to you all,” pointing to Emma’s popular television career.

Emma Willis to take over from Zoe Ball on BBC Radio 2

Zoe said: “You’ll have loved her on The Voice, The Circle, Big Brother, Cooking With The Stars, Love Is Blind, and delivering babies.

“She’s a gorgeous lass so welcome to the BBC Radio 2 family and Saturday afternoons, Emma Willis.”

Zoe stepped down as host of the Radio 2 Breakfast Show in December last year after nearly six years in the role, and returned to the station four-and-a-half months later to present the 1pm to 3pm Saturday slot.

She said she was “thrilled” that Emma would be taking over.

Emma, who is married to Busted bassist Matt Willis is best known for presenting The Voice UK, Big Brother, and The Circle.

Commenting on her new BBC Radio 2 role, she revealed: “It’s really exciting, and it’s quite nerve wracking as well, because you’ve got, you always have fantastic boots and shoes, but they are very big boots and shoes to step into Zoe Ball.”

Emma previously hosted a radio show on Heart from 2012 to 2018, and has served as a cover presenter on Radio 2 since 2019 stepping in for the likes of Sara Cox.

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She said she will “miss” listening to Zoe every Saturday, who made history as the first woman to present the BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show solo, following the departure of her co-host Kevin Greening in 1998.

Zoe will still present a number of specials on the station as she has done throughout 2025.

Her first new project is a new series of the award-winning podcast Eras for Radio 2 and BBC Sounds, focussing on the life and legendary career of Phil Collins.