Audiences for the Radio 2 breakfast show held steady during Sara Cox's first months as host, figures have shown.
The programme attracted an average of 6.44 million weekly listeners across July to September, up very slightly from 6.37 million in April to June.
Cox took over as permanent presenter of the show on July 6, replacing Scott Mills, who was sacked by the BBC at the end of March shortly before it emerged the Metropolitan Police had launched an investigation into the DJ in 2016 over allegations of serious sexual offences involving a teenage boy under 16 between 1997 and 2000. Gary Davies filled in as host in April, May and June.
Radio 2 remains most-listened station
The Radio 2 breakfast show continues to be the most popular radio programme broadcast in the UK at that time of the day, according to the latest data from research organisation Rajar.
Radio 2 also remains the most listened-to station in the country, with a total average weekly audience of 12.67 million in July to September, up slightly from 12.37 million in the previous three months.
Other BBC stations see mixed results
Radio 4's Today programme saw its audience fall, from 5.61 million in April-June to 5.29 million in July-September: the lowest quarterly figure since Rajar resumed reporting data in 2021 after the Covid-19 pandemic.
By contrast, the 5 Live breakfast show enjoyed a jump in listeners from 1.33 million to 1.43 million, in a period coinciding with the closing weeks of the 2026 World Cup.
Two of the BBC's three new digital spin-off stations also saw an increase in their weekly audience. Radio 1 Anthems rose from 584,000 to 630,000 listeners and Radio 1 Dance climbed from 615,000 to 645,000, while Radio 3 Unwind slipped from 408,000 to 382,000. All three stations have been available on digital radio since September 2025.
BBC Sounds and other stations
Kate Philips, BBC chief content officer, said she was "delighted" for Cox and the Radio 2 breakfast team, adding: "These results underline the strength of BBC radio, which continues to bring audiences together through outstanding live events, trusted journalism and world-class music."
She said: "Audiences spent 423 million hours with radio, podcasts and music on BBC Sounds, demonstrating the continued value of our content across live and on-demand listening. From another exceptional Proms season to Radio 5 Live breakfast's World Cup-driven growth, it's been a hugely successful summer across our networks."
Radio 3 saw a small increase in its audience in the latest Rajar figures, up from 1.88 million in April-June to 1.96 million in July-September. There were 1.41 million weekly listeners to Radio 4 Extra, down very slightly from 1.43 million.
The BBC recently announced that Radio 4 Extra will close next year as part of the corporation's ongoing plan to make savings of £500 million by 2028.
