UK

Sara Cox is set to take on Radio 2’s longest-ever challenge this November for BBC Children in Need.

The Teatime Show host will complete five marathons in five days, covering 135 miles on foot from Kielder Forest on the Scottish border to Pudsey in Leeds, carrying a Pudsey Bear backpack along the way.
The Great Northern Marathon Challenge will run from Monday 10 November to Friday 14 November, taking Sara through Northumberland, Durham, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire. She will rely entirely on her own efforts, either running, jogging or walking across moorland, ridges and hills, before finishing in Pudsey on the Friday afternoon.
Sara said: “When they picked me to get Pudsey to Pudsey, I was honoured and horrified in equal measure – we’re talking 135 miles of hills, moors and blisters – but I am ready for the challenge, and I will absolutely be giving it everything I’ve got. Just like with Vernon and Paddy, I know the brilliant Radio 2 listeners will be with me every step of the way.”
Her fellow presenters will keep listeners updated live on air throughout the challenge, sharing support and encouragement. A BBC TV crew will also follow the journey for a behind-the-scenes documentary to air later in November.
Paddy McGuinness, who last year raised £10.3m with his cycling challenge, said: “I know exactly what Sara will be going through so I and the rest of the Radio 2 family will be supporting her every step of the way, especially up all those hills.”
Helen Thomas, Head of Radio 2, said: “This is an extraordinarily tough five-day challenge that will test her endurance as she crosses stunning but demanding terrain to get Pudsey Bear to his home county of Yorkshire. I would like to thank Sara for taking on this mammoth journey.”
As part of the fundraising, Radio 2 will also host a Gala Performance of ABBA Voyage at the ABBA Arena in London on Sunday 9 November, presented by Scott Mills. The concert will include digital performances by ABBA alongside a live ten-piece band, with Scott warming up the crowd with a DJ set before the show begins at 1pm.
BBC Children in Need is encouraging the public to get involved by setting their own walking or running challenges, whether it is a mile at school or a weekend hike, to raise money for children and young people across the UK.
Sara’s challenge continues a long line of Radio 2 fundraisers for the appeal, including Paddy McGuinness’ Ultra Endurance Cycle in 2024, Vernon Kay’s Ultra Ultra Marathon in 2023, Scott Mills’ TreadMills Challenge in 2022 and Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s Danceathon in 2021.

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Alex Duffy and Emma Jones are reuniting on Nation Radio Yorkshire this weekend. […]

Broadcaster Pete Murray is returning to radio to celebrate his 100th birthday today.
Murray, who first made his name on Radio Luxembourg in the early 1950s before moving to the BBC Light Programme, Radio 1 and later Radio 2, will host a special edition of The Boom Top Five at 11am on Boom Radio.
The programme will count down the biggest songs from his birthday week in 1963, featuring tracks by Cliff Richard and The Beatles.
Although he appeared regularly on television in the early years of pop, Murray has often said radio was his true love.
He presented Open House on Radio 2 for a decade, attracting millions of listeners, and was twice voted BBC Radio Personality of the Year in the 1970s.
He was one of the original DJs when BBC Radio 1 launched in 1967, helping to establish the new network as it targeted a younger audience, and later became a key part of Radio 2’s daytime line-up.
Murray was also closely associated with Eurovision coverage for the BBC, fronting UK heats and providing commentary on both radio and TV. Beyond music, he was heard on shows from Family Favourites to Open House, shaping daytime radio for millions of listeners across three decades.
Fellow Boom presenter David Hamilton has credited Murray with inspiring his own six-decade career. Murray’s ad-libbing style and warmth also influenced Kenny Everett and many others who followed.
Speaking ahead of his centenary broadcast, Murray reflected: “I really didn’t expect to be here on my hundredth birthday. Now, I’m looking forward to the 200th.”
Pete was also given a Lifetime Achievement Award from The Grand Order of Water Rats, presented to him by Mike Read.

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Lincs Sound is marking Lincolnshire Day on Wednesday 1 October by launching on DAB digital radio across the county.

The station, which began broadcasting online on 30 June, will now be available to more listeners with the reach of DAB.
Commercial Director James Footitt said the move represents a major step forward.
He explained: “Going live on DAB is a huge milestone for Lincs Sound. It means even more listeners can enjoy our great mix of music, local voices and community spirit. It opens up some fantastic opportunities for local businesses to connect with our audience.”
Programme Director Katie Trinder added: “Lincolnshire is at the heart of everything we do, so going live on DAB on Lincolnshire Day feels like the perfect way to celebrate our county and give listeners even more ways to tune in.”
To mark the launch, programmes will be broadcast live from locations around the county throughout the day. Katie’s Breakfast Show will come live from 1 Stop Spas in Sleaford. Andy Fenton will present his mid-morning programme from the Lincolnshire Showground, followed by Eddie Shaw’s afternoon show live from Brigg Garden Centre.
Steve Orchard will complete the day with his show live from Skegness Pier between 4pm and 7pm.
Katie said the team will also be visiting a variety of places across Lincolnshire. “We will do our best to visit as many different locations as we can throughout the day, dropping off car stickers, Lincs Sound goodies and a few other surprises too.”
Lincs Sound describes itself as Lincolnshire’s local station, playing music alongside local news and community features. More details can be found at lincssound.com.

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Jenny Hanley and Sir Trevor McDonald are leading a special programme on Boom Radio to celebrate 70 years of ITV.

The two-hour broadcast airs on Sunday 21 September from 8pm and brings together some of the most familiar voices and faces from British broadcasting.
Jenny will look back at ITV’s story from its earliest days in 1955 with Associated-Rediffusion and the first commercial advert for Gibbs SR toothpaste, through to the soaps, documentaries and children’s shows that followed. She will also reflect on her own role presenting Magpie and the connection her parents Dinah Sheridan and Jimmy Hanley had with ITV.
Trevor will share his memories of ITN, from the pioneering news bulletins that first brought announcers onto television screens to the creation of News at Ten and its famous Bongs.
They will be joined by Boom presenters Judi Spiers and David Hamilton, who discuss the impact of announcers between programmes. Other contributors include Simon Williams, George Layton, Chris Tarrant, Tony Virgo and Sir Michael Grade.
The special will also feature many ITV theme tunes from across the years, taking listeners through seven decades of television history.
‘70 Years of ITV’ will be broadcast on Boom Radio on Sunday 21 September from 8pm to 10pm.

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The Radio Academy has announced it will change its name to The Audio Academy from January next year.

The rebrand was revealed at The Radio Academy Festival 2025 by Chair Helen Thomas, who said the new name better reflects the wider audio industry while continuing to support UK radio.
It leaves our industry – listened to by 86% of the adult population – without a dedicated cross-sector Academy, and comes after our dedicated radio industry awards opened itself up to non-radio submissions when the Audio and Radio Industry Awards were created in 2016.
Helen explained that fewer than 40% of members now describe themselves as working solely in radio, with many engaged in podcasts, streaming and other audio sectors.
She added: “While we are proud of our history and passionate about our past, we want to reflect the reality of today’s industry. From January next year we will become The Audio Academy.”
Founded in 1983, the charity has built a reputation for supporting and promoting talent across the radio and audio sector. Its calendar of events includes the Audio & Radio Industry Awards (ARIAS), which last year introduced new categories such as Audio Brand of the Year, won by Gary Lineker’s production company, Goalhanger.
The Audio Academy says it will continue to bring people together from across the industry and champion excellence in all forms of audio, while widening its reach to ensure greater representation.
The UK radio sector remains strong, with over 86% of adults listening to the radio weekly, while podcast audiences continue to grow. Research by Edison shows that more than half of UK adults listened to a podcast in the past month.
The Radio Academy adds that the rebrand is intended to signal a broader, more inclusive approach that reflects the diversity of today’s industry and looks to the future of audio in the UK.

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