While most of England spent the weekend debating whether to set an absurdly early (or late?) alarm for the World Cup, a crack-of-dawn start was non-negotiable for Sara Cox.
After 28 years on the airwaves, the presenter finally made her debut as the host of Radio 2’s Breakfast Show on Monday morning. And as she made the switch to the 6.30am slot, Cox brought all the silliness and fun from her teatime programme (and some of the features) – with an added dose of sparkle from an impressive A-list guest.
First things first, though: the football. Starting your new gig the day after a crucial World Cup match is risky business. Especially when the job in question sees you in charge of helping millions of Brits start their day. Thankfully, the Three Lions’ incredible 3-2 win against Mexico meant Cox could breathe a sigh of relief and kick off her Breakfast Show era on the right side of the bed, with celebrations instead of commiserations.
The euphoria perfectly matched Cox’s upbeat, laughter-packed presenting style (and Harry Kane’s raspy post-match interview after losing his voice was an audio clip that felt made for the show). “It is 6:31am. It’s The Sara Cox Breakfast Show!” she declared as the programme began, all giddy excitement and optimistic chatter.
As has become customary in the radio world, Cox sent a message with her first two tracks, playing Lizzo’s “About Damn Time” and CeCe Peniston’s “Finally”, in a nod to her decades-long journey to the biggest role in radio. While fully deserved, the job has come to Cox in somewhat awkward circumstances, with the 51-year-old landing the gig after Scott Mills’ sudden exit from the BBC. “No message in the music, don’t be silly! No, come on, that’s too self-indulgent!” Cox quipped, before throwing in a snippet of Etta James’s “At Last” for good measure. With that, just minutes in, it became clear the BBC Radio 2 ship had been steadied after months of sailing on rough waters following Mills’ departure, and the listeners were in safe hands.
Features-wise, Cox has taken an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach. Teatime fans will have been pleased to learn “Kids in a Car”, featuring sweet voice notes from the youngest Radio 2 fans, has made the move to the mornings, while a number of Cox’s new-ish regular segments are jazzed-up versions of her other popular drivetime features.
“Surprise and shine” is the new “Totally Teavoted”, so callers can still prove their superfan status by answering their phone with each week’s catchphrase, while “Signed, Sealed and Delivered” spotlights listeners’ triumphs, big and small.
Quiz-wise, there’s a new addition. The chaotic “Let’s Hear it For the Noise” sees Cox play a compilation of random noises, quotes and songs, with a caller (who was a tad confused today, but it is day one) attempting to name as many as they can. The prizes have been given a classic BBC upgrade – by which I mean brilliantly low-budget: the Sara Cox Show mugs are out, replaced by socks and toothbrushes.
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Perhaps the biggest difference between the teatime and morning slots is the addition of A-list guests. “They’re letting me talk to celebrities!” Cox squealed. For day one, the team managed to land a chat with Tom Hanks, who – being both super famous and super friendly – is the perfect interviewee. Even with an Oscar winner in the studio, Cox kept listeners front and centre, and Hanks’s appearance ended with the Toy Story actor doing his best Woody voice to deliver a message to two young fans. As Cox teed up Randy Newman’s hit Toy Story track, Hanks told her: “Bless you, Sara. You’ve got a friend in me.” It was cheesy, no doubt about it, but the presenter’s down-to-earth approach and Hanks’ overall good guy nature made it a fitting sign-off for their interview.
As first shows go, Cox surely couldn’t have hoped for better. About damn time, indeed.
