It is the most prestigious show on British radio, cherished by broadcasting legends from Sir Terry Wogan to Chris Evans.

But while Zoe Ball entertained millions of listeners by presenting Radio 2 Breakfast show, Behind the scenes, BBC bosses had to fight to persuade her not to resign years before she finally announced her departure.

This week’s announcement that The ball goes away The high-profile Christmas show after six years was no surprise to friends and some in the industry.

She had just returned to the airwaves after taking six weeks off in the summer and another absence earlier in the year, during which she announced the death of her mother from cancer.

An industry insider said the role as a cheerful companion to the country’s errands and school trips was taking its toll on the mother-of-two.

“Zoe loved being on air, but she was never going to be a Wogan who lived and breathed the breakfast show for 27 years,” they said.

“The 4 a.m. wake-ups and disappearances of Woody (son) and Nelly (daughter) in the morning took their toll pretty early on.

“She had been thinking about leaving for a while. The BBC had to work hard to persuade her to stay during her last contract negotiation a few years ago.

On her return in September, Radio 2 boss Helen Thomas agreed it was best for Ball and the station to move forward quickly with a succession plan.

Quitting also removed the added pressure on Ball of having to justify his £950,000 salary, a close second Gary Lineker on the BBC’s list of beneficiaries, other insiders said.

Since Ball took over from Chris Evans in 2019, the breakfast show’s audience has fallen by almost a third to 6.3 million listeners.

These figures reflect increased competition from commercial rivals, including Heart’s breakfast offering fronted by Amanda Holden and Jamie Theakston, which now has four million weekly listeners, as well as Greatest Hits Radio, the station which poached Ken Bruce from Radio 2.

Another BBC executive said: “DJs are at the mercy of radio figures every quarter. Having a £1m salary published in the BBC accounts makes you a target. If you’re on a commercial station, no one knows how much you get paid.

The bold choice to replace Ball would have been Rylan Clark, the former X factor candidate who presents a Saturday afternoon show for Radio 2.

Clark enjoys a large media profile and has reportedly created social media buzz around the show, but he already has numerous TV commitments.

With another candidate, Vernon Kay, now installed in the morning slot of “Ken Bruce”, the station’s most listened to show, Thomas opted for BBC stalwart Scott Mills for more than 25 years, who is considered an excellent broadcaster technically and a “man of confidence”.

The salary reduction was a consideration when choosing Ball’s successor, I understand.

Another BBC insider said: “Zoe was paid £1.3million initially because Chris Evans had a £2million contract. She was happy to take a reduction as her contract progressed to help the BBC.

“Scott earns £320,000, and although he will receive a rise, he is expected to be paid well below £500,000. This is the job he’s always wanted, so his negotiating position won’t be great.

The person added: “It seems crazy now that the BBC once gave Jonathan Ross an £18m pay deal. With Gary Lineker leaving in 2026 and Huw Edwards gone, the BBC’s era of megasalaries is over.

Ball said she would continue to present shows for Radio 2, which will be announced next year. But without a regular slot, his salary will drop.

However the old Strictly: it takes two The presenter will now be free to take on more TV work for the BBC and other broadcasters.

BBC accounts do not reveal how much entertainment stars are paid who work for BBC studio productions and for independent companies.

Claudia Winkleman and Graham Norton are likely to top the salary list, but the BBC says the figures are commercially sensitive.

Winkleman was paid up to £500,000 for his BBC television and radio work in 2017, the last year before his name disappeared from the published payroll. She has since added another success to her CV as a presenter of The traitors.

Radio 1 breakfast presenter Greg James, who earns £415,000, could become the BBC’s highest-paid star in coming years.

The pay cuts will help the BBC show ministers it is serious about making savings as the government prepares to launch discussions on a new Royal Charter.

Ball will host his final show on December 20 with Mills, who currently hosts Radio 2’s weekday afternoon program from 2-4 p.m., expected to begin presenting the breakfast slot from early January.

“After six incredible years at Radio 2 Breakfast showit’s time for me to get away from the very early morning hours and focus on my family,” Ball said, confirming his departure.

“I won’t miss the 4 a.m. alarm, if I’m being completely honest.”

Mills, who began his career in radio at the age of 16, could provide the longevity that Ball ultimately felt incapable of providing.

Matt Deegan, radio industry consultant and co-founder of Fun Kids, said I: “Scott is a radio enthusiast through and through; it will be his dream job. He also has the potential to do this for a long time. If all goes well, he could challenge Terry Wogan’s record of 16 years.

Deegan added: “Scott is a very common and established choice and will provide tough competition to the likes of Heart and Magic. Perhaps this provides more of an opening for the former focus stations of Greatest Hits Radio and Smooth, which have not yet focused on the big breakfast names.

A BBC radio insider said: “They could have gone for Rylan or Nick Grimshaw. But Scott always wanted the breakfast show – he’s highly trained and a safe pair of hands. The question is: does it offer enough distinctly different things to keep the numbers going?

“There are lots of really good breakfast shows on commercial stations with current, big-name presenters.”

I contacted the BBC and Ball, through the corporation, for a response. The BBC declined to comment on the reasons for Ball’s departure.