Chris Evans Gamble Pays Off For Radio Two

Although some may have initially doubted his ability to pull in the big audiences, the gamble the BBC took on by handing Chris Evans the spot of Radio 2 breakfast DJ has certainly paid off. Taking over from Terry Wogan, Evan was always going to have some big shoes to fill, but it seems he has done exactly this, and maybe even achieved a little more… The latest figured from RAJAR suggest that Chris Evans pulls in a significantly larger audience, whilst the network now has over 15 million listeners every week.

Chris Evans

It’s Evan’s upbeat breakfast show that has laid the foundations of this success, especially after the departure of Radio 1 veteran, Chris Moyles. Since Nick Grimshaw took over from Chris Moyles, Radio 1 listening figures have gone down drastically, and it is strongly believed that a number of these fans have turned over to Radio 2 to listen in to Chris Evans instead, mainly due to his similar style of presenting and humour for the 24-plus age group. After presenting various radio shows including the Radio 1 Breakfast Show as well as the Virgin Radio Breakfast Show, Evans eventually returned to the BBC with a drive-time slot after being appointed by Radio 2 controller Lesley Douglas. Initially Chris Evans’ arrival caused doubts for listeners, with many complaining and partitioning for the return of crowd favourite and previous drive time presenter, Johnnie Walker. Lesley’s on-going patience and belief in Evans soon began to pay off, as soon enough he was pulling in audiences of 5 million plus. Although there may still be some initial calls for the return of the adorable Irishman Wogan, Chris Evans on-going breakfast show success is proving that he was well worth the initial risk. His popular time slot is turning out to be the backbone of the success of BBC radio after 8 years of rising audience figures since Evans’ arrival.

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