Crawley's Romesh Ranganathan takes over BBC Radio 2 show after Claudia Winkleman steps down

The 51-year-old presenter shared the news with listeners during her show earlier today (Saturday, December 02). She told listeners it had been an "absolute privilege” hosting the show, adding that comedian Romesh Ranganathan will take over in April, after her final show in March.

Winkleman had nothing but praise for her successor, who she described as “one of the funniest and smartest people on earth.”

She likened leaving the show to 45-year-old Ranganathan to an early Christmas present and explained that her daughter, Matilda, is getting ready to leave home. “'I still have a little one who wants to be with me. I don't know how long that will last and I just need to be at home more,” she said.

In a press release issued later, she added: “'I absolutely love Radio 2 and it's been a privilege to host the Saturday morning show for three years. I will miss our amazing guests, our brilliant listeners and the one and only Sally Traffic.”

Best known for his deadpan humour, Ranganathan has already made a name for himself as a panellist on A League of Their Own, as well as with his own travel show The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan. This won’t be the first time he’s taken over from a much-loved female presenter, either, having taken over as host on The Weakest Link from Anne Robinson in December 2021.