Claudia Winkleman has shared an emotional goodbye following her final show on BBC Radio 2.
The presenter announced in December that she would be leaving her 10am-1pm slot on the station in order to spend more time with her family, and aired an emotional goodbye today (March 23) as she hosted her final show.
“We have come to the end and I am allergic, I don’t know whether you know this [but I’m allergic] to goodbyes,” she said to her listeners. “My biggest thanks are to you, the listeners.
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“I have worked in telly for I think 24 years and I’m just being completely honest, I have never been more nervous than I was when taking over for Graham [Norton]. You were warm, you were so welcoming, you were so lovely to me. I love your excellent weekly messages, all the updates.
“So, I just want to say thank you so much. Do me one last favour, be lovely to [successor] Romesh [Ranganathan] and please look after my [traffic news reporter] Sally [Boazman]. This is from me, to you and it could only be this.”
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Winkleman concluded by playing Oasis’ ‘Wonderwall’, with frontman Liam Gallagher sending in a message as he said: “I heard it’s your last Radio 2 show today. Congratulations. Thanks for all the support over the years and being a true Faithful. See you soon.”
Related: Claudia Winkleman shares verdict on BBC Radio 2 replacement ahead of final show
Winkleman first appeared on Radio 2 in 2008, hosting multiple shows before taking up the Saturday mid-morning slot from Norton in 2020. Ranganathan, best known for his comedy work, will take over immediately.
Despite leaving her radio show, Winkleman will still collaborate with the BBC on future series of Strictly Come Dancing and The Traitors, which are set to return at the end of 2024 and beginning of 2025 respectively.
Strictly Come Dancing will return later this year on BBC One, while spin-off Strictly: It Takes Two airs on weeknights on BBC Two. Both shows are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
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Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media. His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.
