Miss Helen

Insiders at Radio 2 expect Helen Thomas to become head of the station, thus helping Lorna Clarke and James Purnell's senior management gender balance a little.

Disambiguation: there are literally hundreds of Helen Thomases at the BBC. This is the one who went to Wolfreton School, Hull and studied a potent mix of drama and medieval history at Bristol University. She sharpened her teeth as a broadcast assistant and researcher on Today, in the Rod Liddle era, thence through Newsbeat, World Service and Front Row before landing at Radio 2.

She's been pretty clear she already has an important role at the station, as demonstrated by her Tweets.

Fantastic result for the most amazing team @BBCRadio2 The very best in the business ❤️ https://t.co/cqkGd1q3WI

— Helen Thomas (@MissHelenThomas) March 5, 2020

Thank you so much to all the amazing presenters and production teams @BBCRadio2 #LoveWhatWeDo #RAJAR https://t.co/ps13LBJEs6

— Helen Thomas (@MissHelenThomas) October 24, 2019