BBC Radio 2 hits two-decade listener low as rival Boom Radio soars

Radio 2’s audience slumped to a two-decade low after the station lost a million listeners – as rival Boom Radio celebrated a new high.

Radio 2’s audience fell to 12.6 million during the last quarter, the lowest recorded by ratings body Rajar since 2003.

The fall of a million listeners since Christmas 2024 coincides with Zoe Ball’s departure as breakfast show host and her replacement by Scott Mills.

The figures suggest more Radio 2 listeners are defecting to Boom, the rival “golden oldies” digital station, which broadcasts from its DJ’s garden sheds and kitchens.

Boom, which gave a new lease of life to former BBC DJs including David Hamilton and Simon Bates, now has 711,000 weekly listeners, up 14 per cent on last year and the highest figure since its 2021 launch.

Boom is targeting listeners aged 55 and over who feel alienated by Radio 2’s shift to playing music from the most recent decades instead of its traditional diet of classic pop from the 60s and 70s.

Boom’s profile was boosted by a battle with the BBC, which wanted to create a new Radio 2 spin-off station, using music and programmes from its archive to appeal to older listeners. Ofcom rejected the BBC proposal, saying it would take listeners and advertising revenue from Boom.

The BBC said Mills’ was the UK’s most popular breakfast show (weekdays, 6.30am-9.30am) with 6.2 million listeners.

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Radio 2’s Vernon Kay continues to be the UK’s most listened to radio show (weekdays, 9.30am-12 noon) with an audience of 6.6 million.

Helen Thomas, Head of Radio 2, said: “I’m hugely proud that in a quarter where Radio 2 shone a light on Eurovision, celebrated Elaine Paige’s 60 years in showbusiness, launched the RHS Radio 2 Dog Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show, and presented a VE Day 80 concert, Radio 2 firmly remains the UK’s most listened to single radio station, with an audience of 12.6m each week.”

The BBC said: “Radio 2 firmly remains the UK’s most listened to single radio station with an audience of 12.6 million listeners each week.”

Phil Riley, co-founder of Boom Radio, said: “We’re so proud and thankful to our incredible army of listeners. Their amazing loyalty, tuning in on average for almost a staggering 16 hours per week each, is down to the brilliant work of our presenters, who connect deeply with their audience.”

Riley said Boom kept listeners happy by playing a broader range of songs than other commercial stations. “The freedom they [presenters] have with the music they play stands in stark contrast to most formulaic music radio today – and that’s why our listeners are responding so strongly.”

The Heart network, encompassing stations playing exclusively love songs and hits from the 80s, said it had extended its lead as the UK’s biggest commercial radio brand with a huge 13 million weekly listeners.

The brand now has 415,000 more listeners a week than Radio 2, owners Global said.

Hits Radio and Greatest Hits Radio (the home of Ken Bruce) now reach a combined 12.9 million listeners, owner Bauer Media said.

Radio 4 remains the nation’s most listened to speech network with more than nine million listeners.