Zoe Ball has announced she is leaving her role as presenter of her BBC Radio 2 show, with Emma Willis taking over. The 55-year-old will present her last programme next Saturday and will continue to host special programmes for the station.
Speaking on her show, Ball said she had loved being between Romesh Ranganathan and Rylan Clark, but was not disappearing completely. She confirmed upcoming specials including Christmas Crooners and an eras show in the new year, and welcomed Willis as a "superwoman" joining the Radio 2 family.
Willis said she was "absolutely chuffed" to be joining Radio 2 and it was a "real honour" to follow in Ball's footsteps. Helen Thomas, head of Radio 2, described Willis as one of the UK's most popular broadcasters and said she was thrilled to welcome her to the station's all-star presenting line-up.
Ball was the second-highest paid BBC presenter after Gary Lineker, having received £950,000 from April 2023 to 2024. After stepping down from the Radio 2 Breakfast Show in late 2024 to focus on her family, her salary for the following year was about £510,000.
Ball will remain on the broadcaster's airwaves, presenting a new series of the award-winning podcast Eras for Radio 2 and BBC Sounds, focusing on the life and career of Phil Collins. The show launches on BBC Sounds on 19 January and will be broadcast on Radio 2 on 25 January.
