Eamonn Holmes joins talkRADIO

One of the UK’s new digital radio stations has announced that broadcaster Eamonn Holmes will host a regular weekend show.

The new speech station, talkRADIO, will launch on 21st March with Paul Ross and Julia Hartley-Brewer already announced as presenters. Each week Eamonn Holmes will interview famous guests, starting with business woman and star of The Apprentice, Karren Brady CBE.

Eamonn is well known for his work on GMTV, This Morning and Sky News, as well as previously hosting his self-titled show on BBC Radio 5 live.

Talking about his new role on talkRADIO, Eamonn said: “You may think you know the people who I will be talking to but, the beauty with talkRADIO is that it will give me time to find out about the bits that no one knows. I hope listeners will feel privy to eavesdropping on a conversation rather than an interrogation.”

The station has also revealed that comedian and broadcaster Jon Holmes will host the afternoon slot from 1pm to 4pm. Jon Holmes makes regular appearances on BBC Radio 4’s The Now Show and hosts the breakfast show on Radio X, as well as writing a travel column for The Sunday Times. Previously a host on BBC Radio 6 Music and Virgin Radio, he also hosted an afternoon phone-in on LBC and has picked up several Sony Radio Academy awards.

More details have been confirmed by the station, including BBC Radio regular Yasmeen Khan as host of the drivetime show every Friday. New magazine programmes covering a range of topics will broadcast every weekend, including a property programme with Martin Roberts from Homes Under the Hammer. Looking at cars and gadgets is sport broadcaster and motor enthusiast Andy Jaye on Saturday afternoons.

Other names announced include Penny Smith, comedian Jake Yapp, Alexis Conran, Bob Mills and Anna Williamson.

talkRADIO is one of the new digitial radio stations launching this month, with talkSPORT 2 set to begin next week and Virgin Radio on 30th March. It may be necessary for owners to retune digital radios which don’t currently list talkRADIO in the station list.