Fatal plunge man named
Zoe welcomes the return of radio battle with Evans
SCENE Canary Wharf mall QUANTITY surveyor Richard Gent has been named as the second man to plunge to his death within 24 hours at Canary Wharf.
The 52-year-old was seen jumping a rail high up in the East London shopping mall, an inquest heard at Poplar coroner’s court.
Mr Gent, of Colchester, Essex, died at Tuesday’s scene of multiple injuries.
On Monday, mental health patient Osazuwa Otote, 32, fell to the Tube platform a minute away. Zoe’s debut ZOE Ball got off to a flying start thanks to her upbeat, friendly vibe and a great playlist.
There was a lot of love for her out there yesterday, even if her own kids weren’t listening.
But she – like Chris Evans – is never going to be to everyone’s taste.
If it seemed a bit frantic, it’s sure to settle down (those 3.30am starts will soon see to that).
There are those who aren’t happy because it’s not Sara Cox, or because it’s no longer Chris Chris with wife and two sons Evans. And there are those who found Zoe a bit much for that time in the morning.
Some seemed relieved she had taken over, saying how glad they were not to have Chris “shouting” at them from the radio any more.
Did they think it was easier to wait for him to leave than turn a knob on their radio? It must have been a long eight years for them... ZOE Ball says she is looking forward to going head to head with radio rival Chris Evans, declaring “bring it on”.
She took over from him on the Radio 2 breakfast show yesterday – the same day he launched a campaign to lure his old listeners to join him on Virgin.
The pair will battle it out again after Zoe followed in his footsteps in 1997 as host of the Radio 1 breakfast show while he began his first stint at Virgin Radio in the same time slot.
Zoe, 48, who revealed Chris sent her a “lovely” message before her debut yesterday, said: “It’ll be like history repeating.
“I can’t remember what the outcome was but he’s always been so brilliant and supportive, so, yeah, bring it on.” Speaking after the show, she said Chris’s message told her “remember to breathe”.
Zoe, Radio 2’s first female weekday breakfast host, added: “I was nervous but... the listeners were so positive.”
One person not listening was her daughter Nelly, who turned nine yesterday. Nelly appeared on Radio 1’s breakfast show and when asked which station she was tuned in to, she said: “Radio 1.”
She was asked if she heard her mum’s first link that day, and replied: “No.”
In clips to promote his return to Virgin from Monday, Chris, 52, is joined by wife Natasha Shishmanian and sons Noah, nine, and Eli, six, at home with message cards saying: “Come over for breakfast.”
Sara Cox, 44, who regularly stood in for Chris on Radio 2 and who many thought should have got the job he vacated, rang in to her pal Zoe’s show to wish her luck.
Yesterday Sara began as Radio 2 Drivetime host, dedicating her first song Sisters are Doin’ it For Themselves to Zoe. Sara Cox