BBC bosses offered Joel Dommett the teatime show
Joel Dommett has reportedly turned down the chance to become the new permanent presenter of BBC Radio 2’s Drive show, according to a new report.
The Daily Mail claims that the comedian and television presenter was offered the coveted 4pm to 7pm weekday slot but decided against taking the job.
Dommett has already proved hugely popular with Radio 2 listeners during his spells on the station, having covered the Drive programme as well as presenting Saturday shows and stepping in for Vernon Kay.
He has been part of a wider rota of cover presenters used by Radio 2 while bosses search for a permanent replacement for Sara Cox, who moved from the teatime show to Breakfast earlier this year.
Other familiar names to have taken to the airwaves include Gary Davies, Mark Goodier and Alex Jones.
Dommett himself covered Vernon Kay’s mid-morning programme in August, while Jason Manford has also been among the presenters filling the Drive slot.
Ellie Taylor lined up for Radio 2 Saturday show
With Dommett reportedly turning down the Drive job, attention could now turn towards Ellie Taylor.
Taylor has already been used by Radio 2 as a cover presenter and is about to take over Emma Willis’s Saturday lunchtime programme while Willis concentrates on her Strictly Come Dancing commitments.
Radio 2 has confirmed that Taylor will present Willis’s 1pm to 3pm Saturday show from September 26.
However, Taylor’s availability is also complicated by her new television role.
She is presenting Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two, with the programme returning on September 28 and running through the Strictly series.
That means any move into Radio 2’s Drive programme would not happen immediately.
Radio 2 faces battle for listeners
The uncertainty over Drive comes as Radio 2 continues to navigate a major period of change.
Several of the station’s biggest former stars have moved across to rival Greatest Hits Radio in recent years, including Ken Bruce, Simon Mayo and Zoe Ball.
Their departures have helped fuel continuing speculation among radio fans about which familiar Radio 2 voice could be the next to make the move.
For Radio 2, finding the right permanent presenter for Drive is therefore about more than simply filling a three-hour weekday slot.
Sara Cox had presented the programme for several years before moving to Breakfast, leaving the station with one of its most recognisable afternoon and early-evening shows to fill.
For now, Radio 2 continues to rely on its roster of established presenters and familiar cover stars while the permanent line-up remains uncertain.
And with Joel Dommett reportedly saying no to the opportunity, attention is likely to turn increasingly towards who Radio 2 eventually chooses to take over one of its biggest daily programmes.
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