Graham Norton’s replacements at Virgin Radio have been revealed after saying an emotional goodbye to his Virgin Radio listeners in February.
The star, 61, made the shock announcement just a day before leaving, saying she wanted her “weekends” back after 13 years of performing.
The chat show host, who joined the station in 2021 after a decade at BBC Radio 2, confirmed he would still “appear on the station from time to time” after his weekend role ends.
Norton has presented weekend shows for 13 years when he joined Virgin Radio in 2021 after a decade at BBC Radio.
Now, it has been revealed that former Strictly Come Dancing star Angela Scanlon will host a branded breakfast show both days, from 7am to 10am
Graham Norton’s replacements at Virgin Radio have been revealed after saying an emotional goodbye to his Virgin Radio listeners in February.
Celebrity Juice legend Leigh Francis will host from 10am to 1pm on Saturdays, while Tom Allen will cover the same time slot on Sundays.
TV icons Dick and Dom will take over from 1pm to 4pm both days.
It comes after Graham bid an emotional farewell to his Virgin Radio listeners and thanked them for “sharing their lives” as he closed his final show.
Closing his last Sunday show on the station, he told his listeners: ‘My last thank you has to be for you, for listening to us and sharing your lives with us.
‘We have loved listening to your messages and knowing what you have been doing, what you liked, what you didn’t like, what has made you happy, what has made you sad during these years.
“It has been a great privilege to sit here and share weekends with you for the last three years and two months.”
He also thanked presenter Chris Evans for “creating this opportunity” for him as Norton followed in Evans’ footsteps by moving from Radio 2 to Virgin Radio.
He said: “I got here about three and a half years ago and Chris was excited for me to come here and see, it happened.”
He thanked Virgin bosses and the team for creating only “good articles” during his tenure at the station.
Now, it has been revealed that former Strictly Come Dancing star Angela Scanlon will host a branded breakfast show both days, from 7am to 10am
Celebrity Juice legend Leigh Francis will host from 10am to 1pm on Saturdays, while Tom Allen will cover the same time slot on Sundays.
Norton reflected: ‘It’s a really lovely place to work here, at the top of the tower.
“They have created a very pleasant atmosphere and I have only had good times here.”
Norton closed the show with the first song he played on Virgin airwaves, Madonna’s Hung Up.
He concluded: ‘Goodbye again, see you soon… Thank you very much for your company this weekend. I hope you enjoyed the shows.’
The Irish presenter began his final show of the weekend by saying: “Here we go, one last gallop around the paddock.”
‘Many thanks to Amy for breakfast. I’m Graham Norton and I’ll be here until 12:30, I promise.
He said he was going to “kick off” the show with some Pet Shop Boys music before launching into his hit Always On My Mind.
Virgin Radio presenter Amy Voce, whose show airs before Norton’s, said she is “gutted” that he is leaving but feels he deserves his weekends back as he has “done a shift”.
Norton read a series of messages from listeners who said they would miss him, with one admitting they were “distraught” but hoped he enjoyed the breaks, to which he replied: “I will, getting out of bed this morning was so lovely, thinking ‘I’m not doing this next week.’
Her latest show will feature regular segments including Bake Off star Martha Collison cooking up a storm, with this week’s recipe being Norton’s favourite: udon noodles with braised tofu.
Fellow long-time presenter Maria McErlane also joined him for another edition of Graham’s Guide, in which the pair attempted to help listeners find a solution to their problems.
The final show included talks with actor Callum Scott Howells, who stars in new BBC drama The Way, and actress Laura Donnelly, who will appear in the West End play The Hills Of California.
Norton kicked off the show with a series of upbeat numbers, including Cher’s Believe and Billy Joel’s We Didn’t Start The Fire.
Before launching into Dua Lipa’s new single Houdini, he said: “This lady was on my chat show on Friday night and I was very impressed with her, she’s so effortlessly charming but clearly brilliant, she has a vision and a determination, and she deserves all the success she is enjoying.
The Irish chat show host, who joined the station in 2021 after a decade on BBC Radio 2, confirmed he would still “appear on the station from time to time”.
At the start of his Sunday show, he shared on Instagram a selfie of him in the Virgin Radio presenting chair and wrote: ‘Here we go! One last turn!!’
At the start of his Sunday show, he shared on Instagram a selfie of him in the Virgin Radio presenting chair and wrote: ‘Here we go! One last lap!!
‘Thank you to everyone @virginradiouk and everyone who has listened along the way!!! Three hours left. You must not say bad words!!!’
During his Saturday morning show, Norton explained his decision to leave, saying: “I’ve worked weekends between here and the old place for 13 years, and my life has changed a little bit, so I just want to get my ends back together.” of week”.
He confirmed that fellow Irish presenter Angela Scanlon, who competed on Strictly Come Dancing last year, will take up her 9.30am to 12.30pm slot over the coming weeks ahead of “several announcements” about who will take over the role of permanently.
Scanlon was among those who responded to the news, commenting “miss you already” on Norton’s joint Instagram post with Virgin Radio.
Norton joined Radio 2 in 2010 on the Saturday 10am-1pm show, replacing Jonathan Ross.
She moved to Virgin Radio in 2021 and her BBC role went to Claudia Winkleman. The Strictly Come Dancing and Traitors presenter will leave that show in March after saying she wanted to spend more time with her growing children.
Norton also presents an eponymous chat show on Friday nights on BBC One and is central to the broadcaster’s Eurovision coverage.