BBC Radio 2 presenter Sara Cox has described the week of keeping her new role as the station's breakfast host a secret as 'hell'. The 51-year-old is set to replace Scott Mills, who was sacked earlier this year, after seven years fronting her popular teatime programme.
Difficult Secrets
Reflecting on the announcement, Cox admitted it was challenging not to reveal the news to her colleagues, especially Mark Goodier, whom she joked could 'work for MI5'. 'The week of keeping it a secret was really hard, I'm not good with big secrets and I am not a good fibber at all,' she revealed.
Recalling an awkward exchange with Goodier, she continued: 'He was like, "It would be interesting to see what they do with Breakfast", while glancing at her insisting he knew. I was like, "Ugh yes it will be won't it Mark Goodier!", I was like, "He knows, he knows!" I was like, "This is hell I can't fib anymore."'
'All throughout my teatime show, I wouldn't nearly be saying it, but I'd be like, "Oh this would work on Breakfast or we could do this on Breakfast" and I was like [frantically reminding myself] "No nobody knows!"'
Announcement and Excitement
In a statement shared by the BBC on April 23, Cox said she was 'ecstatic, honoured and incredibly chuffed' to be taking over the station's flagship programme later this summer. 'It's been a dream to host the breakfast show since I joined Radio 2 and it feels like a bit of a full circle for me,' she added.
Addressing listeners on her show following the announcement, Cox said: 'It takes quite a lot to make me speechless, but when I got asked to host the Radio 2 breakfast show I was momentarily lost for words.' She described hosting the teatime slot as an 'absolute blast', calling it a 'golden seven years', while admitting she was now 'absolutely buzzing' to be taking over breakfast.
Previous Missed Opportunity
Cox previously came close to landing the role seven years ago before the job ultimately went to Zoe Ball. Looking back, however, she admitted the timing suits her far better now as a parent. 'Nobody needs me as much as they did seven years ago,' she added on the Pottering with Tom Allen podcast. Asked by the podcast host about her new wake-up time, Cox joked that she disliked the 'tedious' question.
'I messaged Greg James the other day saying, "I've forgotten that the only tedious thing about doing Breakfast is people asking what time do you get up?" And he was like, "Yeah people are obsessed, I've still not got a good answer for it." I remember when I was doing the Radio 1 Breakfast Show, I was going to get a T-shirt that said, "I go to bed at this time, I get up at this time" which perhaps is a bit chippy of me.'
