Sara Cox has officially stepped into one of the most coveted roles in British radio, taking over the Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2 after weeks of intense speculation about who would land the iconic slot.
Her appointment follows the sudden and controversial exit of Scott Mills, whose contract was terminated last month after details resurfaced of a past police investigation involving allegations of serious sexual offences dating back to the late 1990s. While the investigation was closed years ago, the fallout has cast a long shadow over the transition.
Now, at 51, Cox is preparing to make the leap from her beloved weekday teatime show to the high-pressure breakfast slot this summer — and she didn’t hold back her emotions when the news was confirmed.
She said there simply weren’t enough words to describe how she felt about being trusted with such an iconic programme, admitting she was “ecstatic, honoured and incredibly chuffed.” She revealed that hosting the Breakfast Show had been a dream since she first joined Radio 2, calling the moment a “full circle” in her career.
Reflecting on her time in her current slot, she added that the past seven years had been “the most glorious” of her career, thanking her loyal teatime listeners and expressing hope they would follow her into the mornings. She promised “excellent music, all my usual nonsense, plus some superstar guests,” adding that she couldn’t wait to wake the nation with “the biggest, most fun breakfast show ever.”
The reaction from her fellow broadcasters was immediate — and overwhelmingly supportive.
Trevor Nelson announced the news live on air, telling listeners she was going to “smash it” and that the role was “so well deserved.” On social media, Lauren Laverne declared, “YES IT HAD TO BE!!!!”, while OJ Borg joked, “All hail Sara J Cox!” Angela Scanlon added her support with “GET IT GIRL,” as Kate Lawler and Melvin Odoom also joined in.
Behind the scenes, senior figures at Radio 2 are equally confident. Helen Thomas praised Cox’s connection with audiences, saying she is “adored by millions” and has already proven she can build a strong rapport with breakfast listeners. She highlighted Cox’s warmth and humour, and pointed to her record-breaking fundraising efforts — including raising £11.5 million for Children in Need — as proof she deserves the role.
That achievement carries an especially poignant memory. When Sara Cox completed her gruelling 135-mile marathon challenge for the charity, it was her colleague at the time, Scott Mills, who stood waiting at the finish line and embraced her — a powerful moment that now feels worlds away from the silence surrounding him today.
Cox’s rise to the top has been decades in the making. Since joining the BBC in 1999, she quickly became a familiar voice across the airwaves, taking over the Radio 1 Breakfast Show just a year later. After moving to Radio 2 in 2011, she steadily built her reputation, from hosting Sounds of the 80s to becoming a staple of the weekday schedule.
As for Scott Mills, he has remained largely out of the public eye since his departure — but his own words, released around the time Cox was confirmed as his replacement, paint a far more emotional picture behind the scenes.
He said he wished to thank “from the bottom of my heart” everyone who had reached out with kindness, including former colleagues and listeners he said he “greatly missed.” Addressing the controversy, he confirmed that the Metropolitan Police statement related to him, explaining that an allegation had been made in 2016 regarding a historic sexual offence, which he fully cooperated with during the investigation and responded to in 2018.
He added that since the allegation dated back nearly 30 years and the investigation had been closed for seven years, he hoped the public and media would understand and respect his wish not to comment further.
His carefully worded statement — released just as Sara Cox was stepping into the role — now stands in stark contrast to her celebratory moment, highlighting a handover shaped by both triumph and tension.
