Radio 1 Secures Kay To Complete New Weekend Line-Up

BBC Radio 1 has signed Channel 4 presenter, Vernon Kay, to host a new weekly entertainment programme as part of the station’s revamped weekend line-up.

Kay will join the station in January next year and will front a new Sunday show covering the week’s entertainment and showbiz news, with Kay giving his own particular take on the trials and tribulations of celebrities.

Commenting on the appointment, Radio 1 controller, Andy Parfitt, said: “Vernon is a magnetic presenter who’ll be bringing a massive dose of energy to he Sunday afternoon show. He’s a big music fan and it’s great to have him on the team.”

The announcement comes after Radio 1 revealed plans for a brand new weekend line-up, which will see The Dreem Teem’s Spoony present the Weekend Breakfast show, with Colin Murray and Edith Bowman filling the Saturday and Sunday 10am to 1pm slot.

Earlier this month BBC Radio 1 announced that Sara Cox is being replaced as host of its flagship breakfast show after listening figures reportedly dropped by half a million. Cox will be replaced by drivetime host, Chris Moyles, who will move into the early morning slot at the beginning of next year (see BBC Radio 1 Drops Sara Cox From Breakfast Show).

The latest RAJAR listening figures for the three months to June 2003 show that Radio 1 saw its weekly reach decline by 6.2% year on year to drop below the 10 million mark for the first time.

Last month rival Capital Radio confirmed that Chris Tarrant is to leave his job as presenter of the group’s flagship weekday breakfast show to be replaced by former Big Breakfast presenter, Johnny Vaughan (see Capital Confirms Tarrant Is To Leave Breakfast Show).

BBC: 020 8743 8000 www.bbc.co.uk

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