Vanessa Feltz is leaving her early-morning Radio 2 and BBC Radio London shows
(Picture: Ian West / PA Archive)Vanessa Feltz has landed a new TV gig after announcing she was quitting her early morning show on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio London.
The broadcaster has confirmed she’s replacing Jeremy Kyle as the host of TalkTV’s drivetime show. Kyle is set to host a new primetime show launching on the network this autumn.
The 60-year-old will front the new three-hour show from Monday, September 5, and said she’s eager to tackle the big issues facing the UK.
She said in a statement: “I will relish full-throttled debate and the chance to have a personal, passionate point of view at last. Even better, I’ll be at the reins of Drivetime.
"Lord what luxury! After years of 3.3am starts I’ll have a show without an alarm clock involved. If I terrified Mayor Sadiq Khan so acutely that he never dared set foot in my studio on almost no sleep, tune in to see what I can achieve on a full eight hours’ shut-eye.
“I’ll be on The Talk at 9pm two to three nights a week, too. Times have never been tougher and neither have I. See you there 4pm from Monday, September 5 and have a good lunch first. You’re going to need the calories!”
At the end of July, Feltz announced she was leaving her shows on Radio 2 and BBC Radio London after almost 20 years at the helm.
The broadcaster and TV personality, who is one of the BBC’s top earners, said she has “loved every moment” of her early-morning programmes but is stepping down to catch up on a “decade’s deficit of beauty sleep”.
She told her listeners at the time that the roles have been “an honour and a privilege”.
After bidding farewell to her early morning show on July 29, she returned to cover Jeremy Vine for two weeks this month with her final show for the broadcaster on Friday, August 26.
In a statement released last month, Feltz said: “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.
“However, after almost 12 blissful years, I now need to step down to catch up on a much-needed decade’s deficit 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.”
Award winning presenter and people’s champion Vanessa Feltz is the new host of TalkTV’s drivetime show.
— TalkTV (@TalkTV) August 22, 2022
Tune in to feel the full force of Feltz from 4-7pm every weeknight from 5th September.
📺 Freeview 237, Sky 526, Virgin 627 pic.twitter.com/p6XgHsm8Ef
She added: “I will enjoy a dollop of energy-boosting shut-eye to swing from ziplines with my three effervescent grandchildren and frolic with my fiancé Ben, who irritatingly remains 10 years younger than me.”
In recently released BBC figures, Feltz was one of just three women in the top 10 highest paid on-air talent, with her salary of £400,000-£404,999 putting her in eighth place.
Zoe Ball and Fiona Bruce were the other two female hosts to make the top 10 list.
Feltz began presenting the Radio 2 Early Breakfast Show in January 2011, from 5am-6.30am, which was extended to 4am from January 2021.
As well as covering daily news, her shows contained features including Famous Last Words, Jolly Good Fellows, The Feltz Philological Challenge, and Early Bird Earworms.
During her time on the show, she has won many awards, including a Sony Gold in 2009 for BBC Radio London, two gold Gillard Awards and, in 2017 and 2022, the show won silver in the Best Speech Breakfast Show category at the Arias (The Radio Academy’s Audio and Radio Industry Awards).
Before taking over the breakfast show, Feltz presented a mid-morning phone-in programme on the station for 10 years, and from 2001 hosted a mid-afternoon phone-in show.
