Vanessa Feltz has announced her departure from her Radio 2 and BBC Radio London shows after nearly 20 years at the helm

The BBC’s highest-paid broadcaster and TV personality said she has “loved every moment” of her early-morning shows but is stepping down to catch up on a “decade’s deficit of beauty sleep.”
She informed listeners of her departure on Thursday morning, calling the roles “an honour and a privilege.”
On Friday, she will host her final Radio 2 Early Breakfast Show.
Following a two-week break, she will continue to cover Jeremy Vine for two weeks before saying her final goodbye to BBC Radio 2 listeners on Friday, August 26.
“I have loved every moment with my Radio 2 ‘Early Birds’ and will miss my Lovely Listeners, Jolly Good Fellows, and beloved friends and colleagues at Radio 2 with all my heart,” Feltz said in a statement.
“However, after nearly 12 blissful years, I now need to step down to catch up on a decade’s worth of beauty sleep.”
It’s been an honour and privilege to be the breakfast voice of BBC Radio London for 20 years and, although I’m leaving the show, I’ll continue to expect hugs from my lovely listeners when I see them on the streets of London.”
“I’ll take a dose of energy-boosting zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
According to recently released BBC data, Feltz was one of only three women in the top ten highest paid on-air talent, with a salary of £400,000-£404,999 (€488,344) ranking her eighth.
The other two female hosts in the top ten were Zoe Ball and Fiona Bruce.
In January 2011, Feltz began hosting the BBC Radio 2 Early Breakfast Show from 5 a.m. to 6.30 a.m., which was extended to 4 a.m. in January 2021.
Her shows included features such as Famous Last Words, Jolly Good Fellows, The Feltz Philological Challenge, and Early Bird Earworms, in addition to covering daily news.
During her time on the show, she has won numerous awards, including a Sony Gold in 2009 for BBC Radio London, two gold Gillard Awards, and silver in the Best Speech Breakfast Show category at the Arias (The Radio Academy’s Audio and Radio Industry Awards) in 2017 and 2022.
Before taking over the breakfast show, Feltz hosted a mid-morning phone-in show on the station for ten years and, beginning in 2001, a mid-afternoon phone-in show.
“For nearly 12 years, Vanessa has made her live weekday Early Breakfast Show her very own kingdom,” said Helen Thomas, head of BBC Radio 2. “I’d like to thank her wholeheartedly for the thousands of middle-of-the-night starts she’s made to entertain Radio 2 listeners.”
I’d like to send Lady V our best wishes for the future on their behalf, as well as everyone in Wogan House.”