Chris Evans stuns his listeners as he quits BBC Radio 2 live on air for deal at Virgin Radio

The presenter announced that he was leaving  BBC Radio 2 after 13 years 
Robert Dex @RobDexES3 September 2018
The Weekender

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Chris Evans today became the most high-profile male star to leave the BBC in the wake of the gender pay row as he announced he will join rival Virgin.

The DJ — the BBC’s second-highest-paid star, on about £1.6 million — stunned colleagues and the nine million listeners of his Radio 2 Breakfast Show by revealing the decision live on air.

He will give his final broadcast, after eight years at the helm of Europe’s biggest radio show, in December before moving to Virgin in the New Year. Its morning programme is currently hosted by Amy Voce and Sam Pinkham, who moved from local radio to replace Edith Bowman last year, and attracts an audience of about 500,000.

Evans is the latest top earner to leave a high-profile BBC job, after Radio 4 presenter Eddie Mair left for LBC after 30 years in the wake of the equal pay scandal.

BBC figures show the former Top Gear host earns between £1.6 million and £1,669,999. He was the second-highest earner on the corporation’s list, below Gary Lineker. The BBC had to reveal the information under the terms of its new Royal Charter — which led to fears staff would leave rather than see their pay publicised and possibly cut.

Chris Evans - In pictures

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Evans, 52, told listeners he had “loved every minute”. He has two children with wife Natasha Shishmanian and the couple are expecting twins this year. He said: “Some of us are mountain-climbers and if you get to the top of your favourite mountain, you become a mountain observer, so I’ve got to keep climbing.”

He did not speculate on his successor but paid tribute to predecessor Sir Terry Wogan, adding: “As Sir Terry said before me, there’s never a right time to leave something you love but there might be a wrong time if you hang on too long.

“The Breakfast Show is as positive, useful, sunny and inclusive as it has ever been. In fine shape for its next custodian. Whoever that turns out to be, I wish them all the very best, they are in for an absolute blast.” Possible contenders to take over include Lauren Laverne, Sara Cox and Jeremy Vine.

New adventure: Chris Evans has switched Radio 2 for Virgin
Jeremy Selwyn

Evans joined Radio 2 in 2005 as presenter of the Saturday afternoon show before moving to drivetime in 2006.

He had previously hosted Virgin’s breakfast show, from 1997 to 2001, when he was sacked for “breach of contract” after failing to turn up for work after highly-publicised drinking sessions with then-wife Billie Piper.

Sir Richard Branson said he was “very excited to have one of the world’s greatest radio presenters” on Virgin. BBC Director General Tony Hall called him “an absolutely first-class presenter”.

Scott Taunton, CEO of Wireless Group, which owns Virgin Radio UK, said: “Chris Evans is the biggest name in radio. This is the next stage of our radio revolution.” Former Radio 1 Breakfast Show host Zoë Ball tweeted: “Proper shocker on a Monday morning. You will be most missed Mr Big.”

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