Former BBC Radio Suffolk reporter Rachel Burden has been named as Nicky Campbell’s new co-presenter for Radio 5 Live Breakfast.
She replaces Shelagh Fogarty who is leaving the programme after seven years to start in a new lunchtime slot on the channel in May.
Burden began her career on BBC Radio Suffolk before going on to present Radio Bristol’s breakfast show. She has worked on 5 Live’s Weekend Breakfast since November 2003.
She said: “Shelagh is the mother of all breakfast broadcasters and I can only hope to match the impression she’s made on the early mornings of millions of people.”
Radio 5 Live is moving from London to Salford this year and Burden – who is married with three children – said she will be relocating to the area ahead of starting in her role on 3 May.
“My family is already gearing up for the move to Salford and I am really excited about working alongside Nicky and the rest of 5 Live in our new home in Salford Quays.”
Campbell said: “Rachel’s a great broadcaster, a great journalist and a great friend. It’s going to be great.”
BBC Radio 5 Live was the big audience winner in the last quarter of 2010 according to figures published last week by Radio Joint Research.
According to Rajar, 5 Live reached 7.1m listeners in the last three months of the year – up from 6.1m in the same period in 2009. Reach for Radio 5 Live Breakfast rose 600,000 year on year to 3.17m listeners.
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