Radio 2 chaos as Zoe Ball ‘removed from air’ – with fans baffled as BBC legend takes over her show for an hour
THOSE tuning into Zoe Ball’s Breakfast Show were given a shock as she was ‘removed from air’ during her usual Thursday Morning slot.
Earlier this week the DJ returned to her show following the heartbreaking news of her mother’s cancer diagnosis but was nowhere to be heard.
Instead, viewers were greeted with the voice of BBC legend Tony Blackburn, who took over the breakfast show as part of a stunt to celebrate 60 years since the launch of Radio Caroline.
The BBC said: “Tony has just taken over the controls in the studio and is now broadcasting live on Radio 2, playing just 60s tracks like he played to listeners all those years ago on Radio Caroline.”
Tony interrupted the music and to play Caroline by The Fortunes and mentioned that his pirate colleague Johnnie Walker was supposed to join him on the show but had overslept.
He said on air: “We are back, the pirates are back! Zoe Ball has been locked out of the studio.
“I’m here, anarchy once again. We ARE pirates, we’re pirate Radio 2 and here we go, and for the next hour I’m going to play you proper music! Here it is!”
Tony, who had signed off from his last radio show after 43 years on Monday, told listeners he was happy to be helping out after playing his emotional final song earlier this week.
He continued: “I’m back where I belong on the breakfast show for goodness sake.
“I understand that Radio 5 Live is celebrating 30 years. We laugh at them. We actually laugh at Radio 5.
“Celebrating 30 years for goodness sake. Unbelievable.”
It comes after Zoe returned to her Breakfast show earlier this week, after sharing the sad news of her mother’s cancer diagnosis.
Zoe, who replaced Chris Evans as host of the station’s breakfast slot in 2019, returned to host the programme on Monday (18 March), telling her listeners: “It’s me! I’ve missed you all. I’ve been looking after my dear ma, but I’m back to bother you.”
Shen then shared a health update on her mother Julia and revealed that “sadly, heartbreakingly, her cancer is quite advanced”.
Zoe added: “But we’re making loads of lovely memories and taking care of her – she has some amazing people around her.”
The DJ usually hosts her breakfast slot on Radio 2 every weekday morning from 6.30am to 9.30am.