Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Record
Daily Record
Entertainment
Magdalene Dalziel & Brogan-Leigh Hurst

BBC Radio 2 undergoing huge shake-up as Craig Charles cut from schedule and Tony Blackburn moved

A huge change to the schedule at BBC Radio 2 will see channel favourites Craig Charles and Tony Blackburn lose their regular slots.

The station is undergoing a massive shake-up, which will see Drag Race star Michelle Visage join the lineup full time.

She will host her own show from Friday - Sunday, starting July 15 and she kicks off the new look with her primetime spot.

Fans can tune in from 7-9pm, where she will be bringing in the weekend in style with a brilliant mix of feel-good tunes.

Michelle will also return with the second series of her popular BBC Sounds podcast, ffrom August when it will be broadcast every Saturday.

Speaking about her new move, Michelle said: "I'm over the moon to be broadcasting my very own show to millions of listeners on Radio 2, where each Friday night I'll be launching the listeners' weekends in fabulous style with some of my all time favourite tracks that promise to get you in the best mood! And I'm back with a new series of my Rule Breakers for BBC Sounds – I'M SO EXCITED! Bring it all on!"

Tony Blackburn's long-running Golden Hour will now going to air at a new time of 7-8pm on Sundays.

Craig Charles' House Party - which currently airs Saturday, 10pm–midnight - will come to an end in the shake-up in a move which is sure to disappoint fans.

Speaking after the announcement, Charles said: "Every party must come to an end and although I'm packing up my Trunk of Funk on Radio 2, I've loved bringing the party to its funky listeners each Saturday night."

The former Corrie star can still be heard on BBC Radio 6 Music each weekday, from 1-4pm, and The Craig Charles Funk and Soul Show - which airs Saturday nights, 6-9pm.

Dr Rangan Chatterjee's show - which is on Sundays 10pm-midnight - is also being axed - alongside Ana Matronic's Dance Devotion show.

Speaking ahead of her final show, Ana: "It's been a pleasure and a privilege to be part of the Radio 2 line-up for the last five years. To be able to represent dance music culture, history, and community is an honor that I will continue to devote myself to. To all my listeners I wish the very best, and hope to see you on a dance floor very soon!"

Sounds of the 90s with Fearne Cotton is also on the move from Friday night (10pm – midnight), pitching its tent in the party hours of Saturday night (10pm – midnight).

Sounds of the 80s with Gary Davies will be breakdancing its way from its current Friday night slot (8pm-10pm) to the heart of the weekend on Saturday nights (8-10pm).

Helen Thomas, Head of Radio 2, said: "Thank you so much to Ana, Craig and Dr Rangan. It has been a pleasure to have them bookend Saturday and Sunday evenings on Radio 2."

New amended schedule from Friday, July 15:

Friday

7pm-9pm Michelle Visage, produced by Mostest Productions.

9pm-11pm The Good Groove with DJ Spoony, produced by BBC Audio.

11pm-midnight The Rock Show with Johnnie Walker, produced by Listen.

Saturday

midnight – 1am – documentaries/music genre

3am-4am Michelle Visage’s Rule Breakers, produced by BBC Audio.

8pm-10pm Sounds of the 80s with Gary Davies, produced by Listen.

10pm-midnight Sounds of the 90s with Fearne Cotton, produced by Somethin’ Else.

7pm-8pm Tony Blackburn’s Golden Hour, produced by 7Digital.

8pm-10pm Sunday Night is Music Night, produced by BBC Audio.

10pm-midnight Radio 2 Unwinds with Angela Griffin, produced by Somethin’ Else.

Get the latest celebrity gossip and telly news sent straight to your inbox. Sign up to our weekly Showbiz newsletter here .

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.