Zoe Ball ‘elated’ at becoming the first BBC Radio 2 female breakfast host

Zoe Ball asked whether “the anxiety dreams ever stop?” as she was named the first female host of the Radio 2 Breakfast show.

The 47-year-old broadcaster will follow in the “giant footsteps” of Chris Evans – who earned at least £1.6 million for the role – and his predecessor Sir Terry Wogan on the UK’S most listened-to radio pro- gramme. Ball previously made history as the first solo female Radio 1 breakfast show host in the Nineties.

After weeks of speculation, Ball dropped in on Evans, 52, in his Radio 2 studio to make what she called the “bonkers” announcement.

“I am a crazy mix of elation, wanting to burst into tears, thinking about running away, everything. But mainly thrilled,” she told the DJ, who is moving to Virgin Radio.

“I definitely didn’t expect to get a call, but getting a call was an amazing thing. To be the first woman to present this very special show is both an honour and privilege.”

Ball said taking up the job was “somewhat daunting” and added: “You think, ‘I can’t do it. How can I do it?’”

But she said her teenage son helped her make up her mind.

“The best person I spoke to, during that time, was my son Woody, who’s nearly 18,” she said. “He wasn’t even alive when I was at Radio 1 doing the breakfast show.

“He said, ‘Mum, come on. Don’t even think about it. It’s the coolest thing you can do. Be the first girl on Radio 2 Breakfast. It’s amazing’. He looked into my eyes and said, ‘Someone will listen’.”

Her younger daughter Nelly could be more difficult to win over, telling Ball: “I’ll probably listen to Greg [James on Radio 1], but if he plays a bad record mummy I might listen to you to see if you’re alright.”

Ball said she would have to “see how it goes” when it comes to hosting Strictly Come Dancing’s spin-off show It Takes Two show, saying: “I’m really hoping I can do both.”

She told Evans she had only known she had the new job for a matter of weeks.

And she joked to the DJ, who will be her breakfast show rival once again: “Will you leave some of your listeners?”