Lauren set to be Britain’s alarm call

LAUREN Laverne has been announced as the new host of BBC Radio 6 Music’s Breakfast Show as part of the station’s schedule shake-up.

Laverne, pictured, who currently hosts mid-mornings, will take over from long-running breakfast host Shaun Keaveny, who has presented the morning slot for 11 years.

Keaveny, who will now move to a weekday afternoon slot along with Music News presenter Matt Everitt, joked that hosting breakfast radio has “reduced me to the kind of person that cries at traffic lights and remonstrates with shopping trolleys”.

He added: “I give joyful thanks for the opportunity to take my show into the afternoons and sleep past 5.13am.”

Laverne’s Breakfast Show will start 30 minutes later, at 7.30am rather than 7am.

Chris Hawkins’ Early Breakfast will be extended by half an hour.

Laverne said: “I’m so excited about our new show and delighted to be part of the next phase of 6 Music’s evolution.

“Whatever the day brings for our listeners we intend to get them ready for it with a fantastic selection of music and guests who have something worth hearing to say. I can’t wait to get started!”

Her Breakfast Show will run from 7.30am - 10.30am, Monday to Friday, when the changes to the station’s schedule are launched early next year.

Other changes at the station include Mary Anne Hobbs’ move from the weekend breakfast slot to weekday mid-mornings.

Hobbs said she is “delighted to have been given such a unique opportunity to build on my great passion for new music” and that the new role is a “dream job”.

Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie will now hosting the new Weekend Breakfast Show.