Paul Gambaccini replacing Tony Blackburn on Radio 2

[dutchman]

Paul Gambaccini has been announced as the new presenter of Pick of the Pops on BBC Radio 2, replacing Tony Blackburn.



Gambaccini said he was "honoured to be asked to present one of Britain's iconic radio programmes".

"I will strive to meet the standards of my illustrious predecessors including Alan Freeman and Tony Blackburn."

Blackburn was sacked in February because of a dispute over his evidence to the Jimmy Savile sex abuse inquiry.

Gambaccini currently presents America's Greatest Hits on Radio 2 on Saturday nights.

The DJ returned to broadcasting in November after being on bail for a year over alleged historical sex offences as part of Operation Yewtree. He strenuously denied the claims and no action was taken by police.

Gambaccini wrote a memoir about the period and said he had suffered "12 months of trauma".

Elsewhere on Radio 2, it was also announced Fearne Cotton and Martin Kemp will team up to fill in for Graham Norton when he takes his summer break.

Their new live show, which will have two celebrity guests each week, will run from 9 July until 10 September.

It is a return to radio for Cotton who left Radio 1 in May last year.

This summer will also see Trevor Nelson move from his usual Wednesday evening slot to a new two hour Saturday evening show from 20:00-22:00.

Nelson said listeners to his soul show had been asking him "for years" if it could be extended.

Other changes include Fern Britton filling in for Clare Balding when she heads to the Olympic Games in Rio.

A drive time special show on 30 May will feature actor Bill Nighy reunited with records from his precious collection that were lost in a house flood.

And the Queen's 90th birthday will be celebrated in a special programme on 12 June which will celebrate her life through music.