Sara Cox has disclosed the unusual steps she is taking ahead of her debut as the new host of BBC Radio 2's Breakfast Show, which begins on Monday, July 6. The Bolton-born broadcaster, who replaces Scott Mills, revealed she may bury her phone in a neighbour's sandpit to avoid good luck messages.
Preparation for the Big Show
In an interview with The Times, Cox stated: "It's huge but I'm ready. I might have to bury my phone in my neighbour's sandpit a couple of days before because I don't like people texting me good luck, but the minute I open my mic, I'll be fine." She added, "I'm not nervous because I know I can do a good job. I don't want to sound arrogant but I've been doing radio for 28 years now."
Cox is taking over the flagship programme, which attracts 6.5 million listeners each week, from Gary Davies, who has been temporarily hosting since Mills was taken off air. Her first guest will be Hollywood legend Tom Hanks.
Background on the Host Change
The BBC announced Cox as the new host in April following the sacking of Scott Mills. Mills was dismissed after the BBC received new information, though it had known about a police investigation into allegations of historical sexual offences involving a teenage boy under 16 between 1997 and 2000 since 2017. The Metropolitan Police launched an investigation in 2016. Mills released a statement through his lawyers denying the allegations and stating he had cooperated fully with the police.
Cox's Career Move
Cox has hosted the Teatime show on Radio 2 for seven years, from 4pm to 7pm weekdays. She expressed her excitement about the new role: "There are not enough adjectives to really sum up how I'm feeling about being trusted with such an iconic show but let's start with ecstatic, honoured and incredibly chuffed." She noted that her ambition drove her to seek a new challenge after seven years on Teatime.
Content and Style
Cox emphasized that the key to a good breakfast show is one "that makes you laugh." She plans to bring her usual style with "excellent music and all my usual nonsense plus some superstar guests." Unlike her Teatime show, which had no celebrity guests, the Breakfast Show will feature Hollywood stars like Tom Hanks. She said, "The stars were always the regular listeners calling in. So I am going to take them with me to breakfast but we'll have a bit of Hollywood too."
Response to Mills Controversy
When asked about her predecessor, Cox stated: "I know no more than you do about the whole thing." She declined to comment further on the allegations against Mills.
