BBC broadcaster Tina Daheley has announced she is stepping away from breakfast radio after 18 years of early starts, just days before Sara Cox begins her new role fronting the Radio 2 Breakfast Show.
The popular newsreader shared the emotional news during Tuesday’s Radio 2 Breakfast Show alongside stand-in presenter Gary Davies, bringing an end to a remarkable run that began back in 2007.
Reflecting on her journey, Tina said: “It’s been a privilege to have had a whole generation of people grow up with me.”
Her breakfast radio career started at BBC 1Xtra, where she landed what she described as her “dream job” reading the news on Trevor Nelson’s Breakfast Show. She later joined Radio 1 and worked alongside Chris Moyles and Nick Grimshaw.
Following Grimshaw’s departure, she had initially believed her breakfast radio days were behind her.
She recalled: “That’s it, I’m done, I’m hanging up my breakfast show mic. I’m never doing a breakfast show again.”
However, an offer from Zoe Ball changed her mind.
“And then Zoe came knocking, and I thought, ‘I can’t not, it’s Radio 2, it’s huge’,” she explained.
Daheley joined Zoe Ball when she became host of the Radio 2 Breakfast Show in 2019 and remained in place when Scott Mills took over in 2025, affectionately referring to him as her “work husband”.
Speaking on air, Tina joked: “I’ve been waking up early for 18 years, I think I deserve a lie in.”
In a heartfelt Instagram statement, she wrote: “After more than seven 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.”
“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 one in four 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.”
Tina also revealed that her five-year-old daughter Athena is thrilled about the change, saying she is “so excited to have her mummy back”.
Although she is leaving the Breakfast Show, the presenter confirmed she is not leaving Radio 2 altogether.
She told fans: “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.”
Former Radio 2 host Zoe Ball was among those paying tribute, commenting: “Love you Tina. Class act darling girl. I can highly recommend the later start to your day.”
Daheley’s departure comes shortly before Sara Cox officially launches her tenure as the new presenter of the Radio 2 Breakfast Show, ushering in another major change for the station.
