After a six-year stint as the host of BBC 6 Music’s breakfast show, Lauren Laverne has announced that she will be stepping down from the morning programme. Laverne, who also hosts Desert Island Discs on Radio 4, took time away from her role at the BBC last year to receive cancer treatment but gradually resumed her broadcasting career following “successful” treatment. She returned to The One Show and Desert Island Discs in November 2020. Although Laverne is leaving her current role, she will remain on the station, taking over the mid-morning slot. Mary Anne Hobbs, who presents 6 Music’s current mid-morning show, will take a sabbatical and return later in the spring with a new show, according to the broadcaster.
In a statement, Laverne said: “It has been a huge honour (and so much fun) to host the breakfast show for six wonderful years, but it is time to pass the baton on and to set my alarm a little later.” The presenter continued: “As listeners will know, I had a really tough 2020 and worried at times that I wouldn’t be able to return to the station I love so much. During my recovery, I learned all over again about the power of music, the people you surround yourself with, and the emotional support and joy radio can provide. I’m so grateful to be able to get back to doing what I love and sharing those things with our brilliant listeners every day.”
Laverne began filling in for Kirsty Young on Desert Island Discs in 2018, later taking over as the show’s permanent host. Her role has seen her interview many famous names including Steven Spielberg, Cillian Murphy, Rebel Wilson, Delia Smith, Kate Mosse and John Legend. Prior to her radio career, Laverne was the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist in alternative rock band Kenickie in the 1990s.
It is unclear what type of cancer Laverne was diagnosed with, but she urged anyone who was “avoiding a test or putting off an appointment” to get checked. In a post on Instagram in November 2020, she thanked the “brilliant medical teams who took such great care of me” and “the thousands of people who sent me such beautiful and encouraging messages”. She dedicated a final message to her family, including her “two astounding kids and especially my husband Graeme, who was absolutely extraordinary throughout”.
Nick Grimshaw, who has been covering for Laverne since August 2020, will take over the breakfast programme
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
