Sara Cox has expressed gratitude to her team after her BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show recorded an increase in weekly listeners, reaching an average of 6.44 million between July and September. This figure is a slight rise from the 6.37 million listeners recorded in the previous quarter. The show, which Cox took over in July, continues to be the most-listened-to radio program in its timeslot in the UK.
Cox marked the occasion on Instagram, sharing photos of her team and show with a caption reading, "A big THANK YOU from The Sara Cox Breakfast Show team! We got our first listening figures today and we’re feeling very grateful." The presenter, who has been with the BBC for 26 years, previously hosted the Drivetime slot for seven years before moving to the breakfast program.
However, the positive listener figures come as reports surface suggesting some BBC staffers feel uneasy working with Cox. According to an account in the Daily Mail, colleagues feel "on edge" and "thrown under the bus" when Cox points out mistakes live on air and names those responsible. This internal dynamic contrasts with Cox's public image as a "safe pair of hands."
Earlier on the day of the announcement, Cox appeared to allude to workplace tensions with an Instagram post featuring her dressed as a contestant from the reality show "Traitors." She captioned the image, "Making my way from the turret to the studio for today’s Sara Cox Breakfast Show @bbcradio2 #traitor …no lantern so improvised with my horn."
Cox has been described as "incredibly hands-on," reportedly WhatsApping her team around the clock with ideas to improve the show. She has emphasized the importance of innovation and engaging younger audiences through social media content, stating, "There’s a lot of people who listen who won’t speak to anybody else for the rest of the day, so it’s important. But at the same time, we’ve just got to keep being innovative."
Insiders have told the Daily Mail that studio managers and technicians are reluctant to work on Cox's show, with one source stating, "Everybody is on edge because she keeps pulling people up when there is a mistake that goes out on air and then throwing them under the bus, it's unfair and not part of the team spirit."
An August recording reportedly captured Cox singling out a producer named Anthony during a live broadcast. While Cox punctuated the exchange with laughter, sources claim the team felt "very uncomfortable," suggesting that she "had to make a point it wasn't her" rather than owning the mistake or joking about it, as former hosts Zoe Ball and Scott Mills allegedly did.
Scott Mills was dismissed from the Breakfast Show in March after 14 months, following historical allegations of sexual assault. Mills has since launched legal action against the BBC for unfair dismissal. Some staff reportedly felt Cox's song choices at her show's launch, which included Lizzo's "It's About Damn Time" and CeCe Peniston's "Finally," were insensitive given the circumstances of Mills' departure. The sources added that many staff members still miss Mills and have not been given information about his dismissal.
Cox took over the role in July from Scott Mills, who had replaced Zoe Ball. Ball herself later moved to Greatest Hits Radio. It has been noted that Cox had previously expressed interest in the Breakfast Show slot and had been passed over for the position twice before, first for Ball and then for Mills.