BBC Radio 2 newsreader Tina Daheley has announced she is leaving the breakfast radio show after 18 years. The 45-year-old presenter shared the emotional news during Tuesday morning's Radio 2 Breakfast show with stand-in host Gary Davies. Her departure comes just days before Sara Cox is set to take over as the new permanent host of the Radio 2 Breakfast Show, following Scott Mills' dismissal in March.
Emotional Farewell on Air
Speaking live on air, Daheley told listeners: "It's been a privilege to have had a whole generation of people grow up with me." In an Instagram statement, she elaborated: "After more than 7 years of early alarm calls on Radio 2, I'm stepping away from Radio 2 Breakfast. It's been one of the greatest privileges of my life to wake up with you every morning, and humbling to have been trusted to deliver the news on the biggest breakfast show in Europe."
A Career Spanning 18 Years
Daheley reflected on her career: "My breakfast run ends at Radio 2, but it all started at 1Xtra, where I landed my dream job reading the news on Trevor Nelson's Breakfast Show. From there, I spent a decade broadcasting to 1 in 4 young people in the UK on Radio 1. After 18 years and six back-to-back breakfast shows (probably a record in there somewhere), I'm looking forward to a lie-in." She ended her post by wishing Sara and her team the best of luck, adding that her daughter Athena, five, is "so excited to have her mummy back."
Future Plans
Daheley hinted at new projects with the BBC, writing: "I'm not leaving Radio 2, you'll hear me between 12-2pm when Jeremy's away and you'll see me on BBC One after the summer. Beyond that, watch this space." Among the supportive responses, Zoe Ball, who quit Radio 2 last year, commented: "Love you Tina. Class act darling girl. I can highly recommend the later start to your day."
Daheley began her breakfast radio career on 1Xtra in 2007, later moving to Radio 1 where she worked with Chris Moyles and Nick Grimshaw as sports and news presenter.
