Sara Cox will take over BBC Radio 2’s Drivetime show following Simon Mayo’s exit and Jo Whiley’s move to a later slot

SARA Cox is to take over BBC Radio 2’s Drivetime show after Simon Mayo announced he would be quitting the station.

The DJ, 43, was made the bookies’ favourite following last week’s news of Simon’s exit and co-host Jo Whiley’s move to a later time.

Her appointment comes after she narrowly missed out on the Breakfast Show to pal Zoe Ball last month.

Bolton-born Sara said: “I’ve been proud to be part of the Radio 2 family for a few years now.

“The opportunity to present such a big show as Drivetime — playing ­fantastic music and hopefully making people smile as they cook tea or head home after a day’s graft — is the icing on what’s already a very brilliant cake.

“I’m beyond chuffed to be given this role and to directly quote my mum on hearing the good news, it is indeed ‘fandabby­ruddydozy’.”

Lewis Carnie, Head of Radio 2, said: “Sara is hugely popular with the audience and I have every confidence that she’ll make the new Drivetime show her very own.”

The programme was panned earlier this year after bosses brought in Jo, 53, to co-present it in an attempt to improve gender equality at the station.

Listeners were unhappy and ­petitioned for a return to its previous format with Simon, 60, hosting alone.

It forced bosses to beg them to allow the new arrangement to “settle” and to “give it a chance”.

Sara’s new show will begin in the New Year. Simon and Jo will continue hosting Drivetime until the end of 2018.

Trevor Nelson, 54, is to host his Rhythm Nation show from Monday to Thursday from 10pm until midnight — the slot Sara occupies at the moment.

Radio 2 audiences are at a six-year low, losing more than 700,000 listeners.

Zoe replaces Chris Evans, who is returning to Virgin Radio.

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