Claudia Winkleman has announced that she will be stepping down from her Saturday show on BBC Radio 2 after three years to spend more time with her children.

The Strictly Come Dancing co-host revealed the news to listeners live on Radio 2 this morning (December 2).

Comedian Romesh Ranganathan will launch a new Saturday morning show from 10am until 1pm in April 2024.

Claudia first joined Radio 2 in spring 2008 to host Hot Gossip, a comedy quiz series, before moving to Friday nights to host the Claudia Winkleman Arts Show.

In 2016, she presented Claudia on Sunday and then moved on to Saturday mornings in February 2021.

When will Claudia Winkleman leave BBC Radio 2?

Claudia will present her last weekly programme on the station in March 2024.

She said: "I absolutely love Radio 2 and it’s been a privilege to host the Saturday morning show for three years.

“I will miss our amazing guests, our brilliant listeners and the one and only Sally Traffic.

“The truth is my children are growing up inordinately fast so I have decided to follow them around at home before they leave for good.

“I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who works on the show, I will continue to visit with badly made biscuits and will pester the bosses to present the odd special.

"I couldn’t be happier that Romesh is taking over Saturday mornings on Radio 2.

"He is brilliantly laugh out loud funny, and I’ll listen every single week as my kids beg me to leave them alone."

Romesh Ranganathan says ‘it’s going to be fun’ as he takes over Radio 2 on Saturday mornings

Romesh added: "In my many years working as a maths teacher thinking ‘what would happen if I gave this up’, I never imagined I’d be sandwiched between Dermot O’Leary and Steve Wright on the UK’s most popular radio station every Saturday morning.

“I’m grateful to Claud for wanting to spend more time with her kids, and enabling me to spend less time with mine, and I look forward to finding out what the nation is up to at that time, as well as speaking to some familiar faces. It’s going to be fun. Probably."