Sara Cox launches The Radio 2 Breakfast Show with Tom Hanks on 6 July
Sara Cox’s first radio 2 breakfast show begins on Monday 6 July, with Tom Hanks lined up as the first guest. The new Radio 2 morning slot runs from 6.30am to 9.30am and gives the station a fresh weekday lead-in built around listeners, games and big-name chats.
Sara Cox on Vernon Kay
Cox announced the launch on Vernon Kay’s Radio 2 show after taking part in Jeremy Vine’s Ten to the Top quiz. She said: “OK, my big news is...god, I've gone all hot and excited. My big news is that...there's been quite a lot of mystery about when the brand new Sara Cox Breakfast Show begins on Radio 2. I've been quite mysterious and going, 'it's in the summer' and waggling my eyebrows mysteriously. But I can now announce, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, and everyone in between, please do join me for my very first Breakfast Show on Radio 2 on 6 of July. Three weeks today! Very very excited. It is 6.30am. The date is the 6 July.”
That puts the start date at exactly “Three weeks today” from the moment she made the announcement, and it also locks in the new timeslot before the show’s first broadcast. Cox’s line — “And it’s the first-ever Sara Cox Breakfast Show. I can’t wait – it’s so exciting.” — makes the handover feel deliberate rather than soft-launched.
Tom Hanks at 6.30am
Tom Hanks will be Cox’s first guest, and he is coming on to talk about Toy Story 5. Cox tied that booking directly to the launch, saying, “And, you know, I mentioned the Toy Story news as well. I mean, I don't know where we go from here because I think we've started almost too big. My very first guest on the Sara Cox Breakfast Show will be…Mr. Tom Hanks.”
Vernon Kay responded, “Awh legend. The nicest man in showbusiness.” Cox answered, “Woody at Breakfast. Yes, cannot wait!” That choice gives the first programme an immediate entertainment hook, but the real business move is the slot itself: a new presenter taking over a major 6.30am start needs a guest strong enough to signal intent on day one.
42 alarm clocks
Cox also said she had used 42 alarm clocks after Jeremy Vine asked, “How many alarm clocks are you going to use?” That detail is small, but it says more about the pressure of a first breakfast show than any polished promo copy could. Early mornings are the job, and she is putting the schedule front and centre before a single edition airs.
The practical takeaway for listeners is simple: the new show starts on 6 July, runs from 6.30am to 9.30am, and opens with Tom Hanks. For Radio 2, that is a clear launch plan, not a quiet staffing change; for anyone tuning in, the first hour is already built around a major guest and a fresh format instead of a cautious reset.
