Claudia Winkleman has announced she is quitting her show on BBC Radio 2 after 15 years on air.
The 51-year-old presenter shared the news with her listeners during Saturday’s show and admitted she would like to spend more time with her daughter.
Claudia’s final show will air in March, after which she will be replaced by Romesh Ranganathan.
The media personality explained that it was an “absolute privilege” to host the show and thanked her listeners.
She began: “I would like to share my opinion. Firstly, I’m going to say it loud and with verve: I love Radio 2.”
Claudia Winkleman, 51, has announced she is quitting her show on BBC Radio 2 after 15 years on air
The presenter shared the news with her listeners during Saturday’s show and admitted she would like to spend more time with her daughter (pictured in 2017).
Claudia continued: “It’s an absolute privilege to be here every Saturday, chatting to amazing guests, being Sally and most of all reading your fantastic messages.”
“But here’s the thing, it’s such a boring cliché so I apologize.” Time passes too quickly, my daughter is getting ready to leave the house and she was three years old about five minutes ago. I still have a small child who wants to be with me and I just need to be home more.
“So my news at 10 o’clock is that I’m leaving, but I have two extraordinary pieces of news.” First, the person taking over is one of the funniest and smartest people in the world. We will love listening to him every Saturday at 10am. Consider this an early Christmas present, if you will, the one and only Romesh Ranganathan is due to be here from April and he is majestic.
“Number two, the second good news: the bosses have said I can – and I make no apologies for this – play an obscene amount of it…”
She then performed the Oasis hit “You Gotta Roll With.”
She added in a press release: “I absolutely love Radio 2 and it has been a privilege to host the Saturday morning show for three years. “I will miss our amazing guests, our brilliant listeners and the one and only Sally Traffic.
“The truth is that my children are growing up too quickly, so I decided to accompany them at home before they leave for good.”
“I am incredibly grateful to everyone working on the show. I will continue to visit them with poorly baked cookies and pester the bosses to present one special or another.”
“I couldn’t be happier that Romesh is taking over Saturday mornings at Radio 2. He laughs incredibly loudly and funny, and I will listen every week when my children beg me to leave them alone.”
Romesh added: “During my many years as a math teacher, I thought, ‘What would happen if I gave this up?’ I never thought I’d be sandwiched between Dermot O’Leary and Steve Wright on Britain’s most popular radio station every Saturday.” Tomorrow.
“I am grateful to Claude for wanting to spend more time with her children and allowing me to spend less time with mine, and I look forward to finding out what the nation is up to at this time and speaking to some. “familiar faces. It will be fun. Probably.’