Vanessa says: “I have loved every moment with my Radio 2 ‘Early Birds’ and will miss my Lovely Listeners, Jolly Good Fellows and beloved friends and colleagues at Radio 2 with all my heart. However, after almost 12 blissful years, I now need to step down to catch up on a much needed decade’s deficit of beauty sleep!

“It’s been an honour and privilege to be the Breakfast voice of BBC Radio London for 20 years and although I’m leaving the show, I’ll continue to expect hugs from my lovely listeners when I see them on the streets of London!

“I will enjoy a dollop of energy-boosting shut-eye to swing from zip-lines with my three effervescent grandchildren and frolic with my fiancé Ben, who irritatingly remains 10 years younger than me!”

Helen Thomas, Head of Radio 2, says: “For almost 12 years, Vanessa has made her live weekday Early Breakfast Show her very own kingdom, and I’d like to thank her wholeheartedly for the thousands of middle-of-the-night starts she’s made to entertain the Radio 2 listeners. On behalf of them, as well as everyone in Wogan House, I’d like to send Lady V our very best wishes for the future.”

Chris Burns, Controller Local Audio Commissioning, says: “Every weekday Vanessa has breezed straight from her Radio 2 programme into the Radio London breakfast show, barely pausing for breath. She has effortlessly entertained her “lovely listener” and sternly held the city’s and country’s decision makers to account. The brightest spark you could ever meet - no matter how early it is and what’s going on in the news - to say Vanessa’s voice will be missed is an understatement. We wish her well and thank her dearly for her incredible service.”

Vanessa began presenting the Radio 2 Early Breakfast Show in January 2011, from 5am-6.30am, which was extended to 4am from January 2021. Vanessa has entertained listeners with the news of the day, as well as much loved features including Famous Last Words, Jolly Good Fellows, The Feltz Philological Challenge and Early Bird Earworms.

Vanessa will present her last Radio 2 Early Morning Breakfast Show on Friday 29 July. After taking a well-earned two-week break, Vanessa will cover for Jeremy Vine for two weeks (w/c 15 and 22 August, noon–2pm) as planned, and bid farewell to Radio 2 listeners on Friday 26 August.

Vanessa Feltz has been making the BBC Radio London breakfast show very much her own since taking the helm in January 2016. During that time she has covered some of the biggest stories and won many awards including a Sony Gold in 2009 for BBC Radio London, two gold Gillard awards and, in 2017 and 2022, the show won Silver in the Best Speech Breakfast Show category at the Arias (The Radio Academy’s Audio and Radio Industry Awards).

Before taking over the breakfast show, she presented a mid-morning phone-in show on the station for 10 years, and from 2001 presented a mid-afternoon phone-in show, establishing herself as one of the most successful voices in radio and building a unique bond with listeners. Vanessa will present her last Breakfast Show on BBC Radio London on Friday 26 August.

Radio 2 and BBC Radio London will announce their new respective morning schedules at a later date.