Liza Tarbuck has announced she is stepping down from her Saturday evening show on BBC Radio 2 after 14 years. The 61-year-old broadcaster said she wanted her weekends back, describing the decision as difficult but necessary.
Tarbuck presented the 6pm to 8pm slot every Saturday since 2012. In a handwritten note on Instagram, she called the show a “private members club” and said it had been “the stuff of dreams”. She thanked listeners for their companionship, adding that it was a privilege to have them.
Shaun Keaveny will temporarily replace Tarbuck until the end of March, while a permanent presenter is sought. Radio 2 boss Helen Thomas paid tribute to Tarbuck, saying she created “a truly magical, fantastical world” and that the station’s door would always be open for her.
Fellow Radio 2 stars expressed their sadness, with Jo Whiley saying she felt “bereft” and Rylan describing Tarbuck as a friend who made him “cackle”. Keaveny placed her among the station’s greats, alongside Terry Wogan and Steve Wright.
Tarbuck, daughter of comedian Jimmy Tarbuck, began her career in 1987 with the comedy series Watching. She later hosted The Big Breakfast and appeared in shows such as Extras and French & Saunders. Her departure adds to a series of high-profile exits from Radio 2 in recent years, including Zoe Ball and Ken Bruce, though the station remains the UK’s most popular with 12.8 million weekly listeners.
