BBC Radio 2 have announced that Rylan Clark-Neal is to be formally installed as a presenter, taking Zoe Ball’s Saturday afternoon slot as she prepares to replace Chris Evans on the weekday breakfast show.

“I'm so excited and honoured to be joining the BBC Radio 2 family,” the former reality TV star, 30, tweeted to his followers on Thursday morning (November 8th). “I can't wait to get started and look forward to being in the studio from the New Year.”

It comes soon after former Radio 1 DJ Zoe Ball was officially unveiled as Chris Evans’ replacement on Radio 2’s flagship breakfast show a couple of weeks ago. Evans will be handing over the reins in January next year, announcing back in September that he’ll be returning to Virgin Radio.

Rylan Clark NealRylan Clark-Neal has officially been welcomed to the Radio 2 roster

“After stepping in for the amazing Zoe Ball over the summer, working with her fantastic team, I'm thrilled that I'll be working with them again to fill listeners' Saturday afternoons with fun, great music and a lot of laughter,” Clark-Neal said in a fuller statement.

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“I wish Zoe every success as the station's new Breakfast Show host and I'm sure she's going to be as brilliant as she always has been.”

A showbiz correspondent on ‘This Morning’ since 2014, Clark-Neal helped provide BBC Four’s coverage of the Eurovision Song Contest this year. He is also the host of ‘Step Back in Time…’, a six-part pop nostalgia series created for BBC Sounds, which begins on November 16th.

His new show will be broadcast on Saturday afternoons from 3pm-6pm.

Lewis Carnie, the head of BBC Radio 2, said in his own statement: “I'm delighted that Rylan can join Radio 2 and we will give him a warm welcome in his new presenting role. Our listeners can expect a wonderful mix of fun and Rylan's inimitable style on Saturday afternoons.”

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