BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Audience Drops After Zoe Ball Exit

Following Zoe Ball's departure as presenter of the BBC Radio 2 breakfast show in December 2024 after nearly six years, the program experienced a decline of approximately 360,000 listeners, with the audience dropping from 6.83 million to 6.45 million in the January to March period. Several stand-in DJs, including Gaby Roslin and Mark Goodier, hosted the show before Scott Mills took over full-time at the end of January, marking a new chapter for the popular slot. Despite the dip, the breakfast show still holds the largest national radio audience in its time slot, surpassing Radio 4’s Today programme and other competitors. Radio 2 remains the UK's most popular station overall, with a weekly audience of 13.11 million, although this figure represents a slight decrease from the previous quarter and is the lowest since audience tracking resumed post-pandemic. Industry experts highlight that such drops are common following major schedule changes and emphasize the ongoing challenge for the new host to maintain and grow the audience amid increasing competition. Meanwhile, other commercial breakfast shows like Heart's have seen audience growth, indicating a shifting competitive landscape in UK radio.