Lauren Laverne has said it was “hugely emotional and joyful” to return to hosting on BBC Radio 6 Music after thinking last summer that it may not have been possible. The 46-year-old broadcaster took a break from hosting her breakfast programme in August last year after being diagnosed with cancer.
She returned to the airwaves on Monday morning to the later mid-morning slot, with former BBC Radio 1 presenter Nick Grimshaw taking over her 6 Music breakfast slot. Laverne shared a photo of her smiling while on air to Instagram following her first show back, writing: “Looking as happy as I felt to be back on air @bbc6music this morning.”.
She continued: “Last summer today felt like it might never come so it was hugely emotional and joyful to return to doing what I love full time. “Thank you so much to everyone who helped get me here, everyone who listened and messaged, to my amazing show team and the incredible people who run our station and have been so supportive during such a difficult time. I feel so lucky and grateful.”.
The broadcaster added that she “can’t wait to do it all again” on Tuesday. Laverne made a comeback to recording for BBC Radio 4’s interview programme Desert Island Discs and BBC One talk show The One Show last year. As she began hosting her new mid-morning programme on Monday, the presenter said: “Thank you for welcoming me home, and letting me be myself here on 6 Music, it feels so good to be back. Good morning and cheers to Grimmy (Grimshaw) for a sensational breakfast show so let’s get going, should we?”.
Laverne then played Ezra Collective’s Body Language, and after the track finished she thanked everyone for “all the gorgeous messages”. “It is wonderful to be here, back in a place that feels most like home to me,” she added. “I’ve been off-air for six months, there’s only one question, and that is this what have I missed? I’ve been dying to know … I’ve been looking forward to spending the mornings with you.”.
The DJ also promised that she would be playing “comeback tunes this morning, songs about returning because here I am popping up like the proverbial Jack-in-the-box.”. Before starting her programme at 10am on Monday, Laverne told Grimshaw: “It feels fantastic, I’ve been so excited, it’s … nervous energy (and) just excitement to get going.
“I’ve done a couple of run-through shows here, to remember how to press the buttons etc.”. On Sunday, Laverne wrote on Instagram, saying her friends sent her “good luck flowers”. Grimshaw started his first breakfast show on Monday on 6 Music, saying he had been “overthinking”, and was “getting stressed out”.
In November, Laverne revealed that she had been given the “all clear” after being absent from her BBC work for around three months. She is taking over from former BBC Radio 6 Music mid-morning host Mary Anne Hobbs, who is set to move to a new show in the spring.
