looking longingly

Radio One of the few sublime broadcast moments inspired by the Brand/Ross debarkle happened during Danny Baker's 606 football phone-in on Five Live a night or so before Brand resigned and Ross was suspended.

Towards the end of the show, Richard Bacon, whose own show happens in the later slot, wandered in to trail the fact that he'd inevitably be talking about the controversy on his own show. Baker and Bacon discussed it for a bit with Baker describing how he's talked to Ross just the night before and they agreed the reaction had been amusing and that they were both looking longingly at the two slots could potentially (and did) open up on Radio Two, both gold.

Danny said that he'd pressed upon Jonathan the importance of making sure he'd email him if a resignation was on the cards so that he could get his CV in early. Obviously, you had to be there, but it was a searing recognition of the reality of how these situations are viewed from the industry side of the fence, even if tongue was firmly in cheek throughout the whole thing.

Cut to today and this press release from the BBC ...

"Baker and Ball to co-present on Radio 2

Zoe Ball and Danny Baker are to co-present four Saturday morning shows on BBC Radio 2 between 10.00am and 1.00pm from 22 November to 13 December.

My memory's faulty but back in the day, I'm sure Baker and Ball understudied for Chris Evans and Gaby Roslin on The Big Breakfast during its first good era so it'll still be worth tuning in to see what the show will looking like, who's personality will out. Hopefully it'll be a return of his old Radio One format with categories quizzes and Zoe filling in for the array of people who joined him in the treehouse.