Sara Cox’s Radio 2 Breakfast Show Beats Scott Mills’ Figures

Sara Cox has successfully held the line at BBC Radio 2, with new figures revealing her Breakfast Show attracted more listeners than the same period last year. According to the Daily Mail ^[1], an average of 6.4 million people tuned in between July and September, a rise of just over a quarter of a million compared to 2025. This stability is notable given the controversy surrounding her predecessor, Scott Mills, who was sacked in March.

The Independent reported ^[2] that Cox took over the slot on July 6, following Mills’ dismissal amid a police investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct. While the RAJAR data confirms the show remains the UK’s most popular morning programme, there are whispers of discord behind the studio doors. The Daily Mail revealed ^[1] that staff members felt "uncomfortable and on edge" due to Cox’s habit of calling out technical mistakes on-air and naming those responsible.

Despite these internal frictions, the audience response appears positive. Head of Radio 2, Helen Thomas, celebrated the growth, noting the station reached 12.7 million weekly listeners. Cox herself dismissed the tension, telling The Sun she had an "incredible team" and a "brilliant bunch of people." A BBC spokesman echoed this sentiment, describing live radio as spontaneous and praising Cox’s authentic chemistry with her colleagues ^[1].

The broader BBC landscape shows mixed fortunes. Radio 4 suffered another decline, losing 232,000 listeners in the last three months, with the Today programme dropping to 5.2 million. This drop may be linked to brutal budget cuts, which will see the axing of shows like You and Yours. Meanwhile, Radio 5 Live’s Breakfast Show gained ground, rising to 1.43 million listeners, aided by the final weeks of the 2026 World Cup coverage, according to The Independent ^[2].