Lauren Laverne QUITS BBC Radio 6 show amid cancer treatment as she issues statement on exit
Lauren Laverne is stepping down from BBC Radio 6 Music’s breakfast show after six years, following a period of absence for cancer treatment.
The broadcaster announced today she will hand over the programme to Nick Grimshaw, who has been covering the slot since August 2024.
Grimshaw, formerly of BBC Radio 1, will take over the breakfast show permanently from February.
Laverne, 46, will remain with the station, moving to a new weekday programme in the mid-morning slot.
The announcement comes after the presenter took time away from broadcasting last year to undergo cancer treatment, which she revealed was discovered during a routine screening test.
In a statement, Laverne addressed her departure from the breakfast show: “It has been a huge honour (and so much fun) to host the breakfast show for six wonderful years, but it is time to pass the baton on, and to set my alarm a little later.”
The presenter spoke candidly about her challenging year: “As listeners will know, I had a really tough 2024 and worried at times that I wouldn’t be able to return to the station I love so much.”
She reflected on her recovery period, saying: “During my recovery I learned all over again about the power of music, the people you surround yourself with and the emotional support and joy radio can provide.”
“I’m so grateful to be able to get back to doing what I love and sharing those things with our brilliant listeners every day,” she added.
In August 2024, Laverne revealed her cancer diagnosis through an Instagram post, explaining it had been “caught early and unexpectedly during a screening test.”
At the time, she expressed gratitude to the medical teams who cared for her and thanked “thousands of people” who sent encouraging messages.
She particularly acknowledged her family’s support, praising “my two astounding kids and especially my husband Graeme, who was absolutely extraordinary throughout.”
Laverne made a gradual return to broadcasting following successful treatment, resuming her roles on BBC One’s The One Show and Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs in November.
She used her experience to encourage others, urging anyone who was “avoiding a test or putting off an appointment” to get checked.
The specific type of cancer has not been disclosed by the presenter.
As part of the scheduling changes, Laverne will take over the mid-morning programme at BBC Radio 6 Music.
Current mid-morning host Mary Anne Hobbs will be taking a sabbatical from the station.
The BBC has confirmed Hobbs will return later in the spring with a new show.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Sir Cliff Richard, 84, makes feelings clear on musician comebacks as he details retirement planCheryl in stalking ordeal as convicted killer turns up at home weeks after Liam Payne funeralITV Grantchester fans make stance clear over key exit moments into new series: ‘Not ready!’
Laverne has been a prominent figure in British broadcasting, having taken over as permanent host of Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs in 2018.
In this role, she has interviewed numerous high-profile guests, including Cillian Murphy, Steven Spielberg, Rebel Wilson, Delia Smith, Kate Mosse and John Legend.
Her media career extends beyond radio, having previously presented BBC Two’s The Culture Show and Channel 4’s 10 O’Clock Live.
Before her broadcasting career, Laverne was a musician in the 1990s, performing as a singer and guitarist with alternative rock band Kenickie.
She began hosting the 6 Music breakfast show in 2019, establishing herself as a key voice on the station over the past six years.