Vernon Kay's BBC Radio 2 mid-morning show has been given a major boost, with new listening figures revealing he now attracts a weekly audience of 6.8 million.
The 52-year-old, from Bolton, took over the mid-morning slot in May 2023, replacing Ken Bruce who had hosted the programme for 31 years. At the time, Kay said: "To be hosting the new Radio 2 mid-morning show is a total privilege. It's going to be an unforgettable start to what promises to be an amazing journey. And to have two music legends coming up in the Radio 2 Piano Room is a dream come true."
Radio 2 remains UK's most popular station
According to research organisation RAJAR, Radio 2 remains comfortably the most popular station in the country, despite overall audiences holding steady or dipping slightly. The total average weekly audience for Radio 2 in April-June was 12.37 million, down slightly from 12.57 million in January-March.
The breakfast show, now hosted by Sara Cox after Scott Mills' departure at the end of March, averaged 6.37 million listeners in April-June, down only slightly from 6.42 million in the previous three months. Mills was sacked by the BBC shortly before it emerged the Metropolitan Police had launched an investigation into allegations of serious sexual offences involving a teenage boy under 16 between 1997 and 2000.
Kay's highest figure since 2024
Helen Thomas, head of Radio 2, said: "I'm delighted that Radio 2 remains the UK's most popular single radio station in the UK. People are tuning in for over 11 hours each week, which is almost a four-year high. Congratulations to Vernon Kay, who hosts the UK's most listened to radio show with a weekly audience of 6.8 million, his highest figure since 2024. Our 65-plus audience has also risen to a five-year high, and I'd like to congratulate Tony Blackburn, Radio 2's very own national treasure, whose Sunday evening Golden Hour recorded its highest audience figure since 2021."
Pantomime return
Meanwhile, Kay recently announced he will return to the stage this December, starring in the family favourite pantomime Sleeping Beauty. He will take on the role of Billy in the production at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley, running from December 5, 2026, to January 3, 2027. This comes after he won the best newcomer prize at the British Pantomime Awards in 2023 for his role as Dandini in Cinderella at the Wycombe Swan in High Wycombe in December 2022.
