Lauren Laverne returned to presenting duties on BBC Radio 6 Music, saying it was “wonderful” to be back home at the station following an absence of around six months. The 46-year-old took a break from hosting her breakfast programme in August last year following her cancer diagnosis, and did not return to front it.
She announced in January that former BBC Radio 1 presenter Nick Grimshaw would take over her 6 Music breakfast slot as she moved to mid-mornings. Laverne did make 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 a new mid-morning programme, 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 (Nick) 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 (children’s toy) 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-mornings host Mary Anne Hobbs, who is set to move to a new show in the spring.
