Vanessa Feltz leaves BBC after more than two decades…

Vanessa Feltz leaves BBC after more than two decades on radio

Vanessa Feltz is leaving the BBC after more than two decades on the radio. Feltz is one of the highest-paid presenters at the BBC, earning more than £400,000 for hosting her two daily radio shows.

The broadcaster will leave both her early breakfast show on BBC Radio 2, as well as the breakfast show she presents on BBC Radio London. She has presented shows on BBC Radio London since 2001 and Radio 2 since 2011.

Speaking of the decision to leave, Felta said she had to step down to 'to catch up on a much needed decade's deficit of beauty sleep' but that she had 'loved every moment'. Her final early breakfast show will fair on BBC Radio 2 on Friday.

But that won't be the last time fans can hear her, though, as she will then cover Jeremy Vine's show for a fortnight as planned, from 15 August. Her last day of covering Vine, on 26 August, will be her final day at BBC Radio 2, and also mark her final BBC Radio London show.

The presenter said it had been "an honour and privilege to be the breakfast voice of BBC Radio London for 20 years". She added: "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."

Feltz said she was looking forward to being able to sleep for longer in the mornings after her two shows come to an end. She explained: "I will enjoy a dollop of energy-boosting shut-eye to swing from zip-lines with my three effervescent grandchildren and frolic with my fiancé Ben, who irritatingly remains 10 years younger than me!"

Speaking on the Radio 2 breakfast show after Feltz announced her departure, Zoe Ball described her fellow presenter as "always glamorous and quite possibly the cleverest person I know".

Ball said: "I'm not going to lie, we are all in tears at Radio 2. She's always been outrageous and the hardest working lass. Wherever she goes next, whatever she does, she will be golden at it and they'll be very lucky to have her. We will give her the bumps at some point."

Another Radio 2 DJ, Steve Wright, announced earlier this month he was leaving his weekday afternoon show. Feltz, who also regularly appears on ITV's This Morning, has previously taken part in Celebrity Big Brother and Strictly Come Dancing.

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