exciting

KIRSTEN O’Brien hung up her headphones at BBC Berkshire after revealing a new gig.

The kids’ TV presenter will be joining the BBC Radio 2 team for a very different role.

On her last day at the station, she was surprised by fellow 90s stars Dick and Dom.

She shared BBC Berkshire’s tweet, with a selfie of her and the boys and wrote: “Bit of news! Love that the lads surprised me today, I’m sad to be leaving BBC Berkshire as I’ve had a ball, but I can’t wait to get stuck in doing the traffic reports on BBC Radio 2 from Monday!”

Kirsten hosted the 10am-2pm slot on the Berkshire-based station and on her final show, she told listeners: “It’s eight years I’ve been here.

“I started at the old place at Caversham Park, doing a bit of covering, did the news, of course, some breakfast, and then the last two years doing brilliant things on this mid-morning show.

BEEB SHAME

BBC Radio 1 airs N-word slur twice in news blunder weeks after Baftas slip

saying thanks

Rylan is favourite to replace Sara Cox on BBC Radio 2 Drivetime, say bookies

“I’ve really, really enjoyed it. I’ve done all sorts while I’ve been here. I’ve visited everywhere from Reading Uni to the tip.

“I was thinking back about where I’ve been. My kids have grown up since when I first started, they weren’t sleeping.

“We were talking to sleep experts about helping me out. And now, of course, I just get them for stories.

“They provide endless content for me. Mark as well, whose life plays out on the radio, poor fella.

“So, I’ve always said I’ve come in here for a bit of a rest, a chat, to hear your stories as well and a bit of a laugh, and it’s been absolutely brilliant.”

Brigitte Tetta will be taking over Kirsten’s slot.

Kirsten was met with messages of support from listeners, with one writing: “Will be great to hear your voice on BBCRadio2. Always brings a bit of nostalgia from the CBBC and SMart days!”

A second added: “Heard you with Sara Cox a couple of weeks ago and you were great!”

“Congratulations Kirsten best wishes for the new adventures ahead,” echoed another.

“Wooooaahhhh, what?! I did not have this on my Bingo card for 2026! Fantastic, Kirst!! Huge congrats,” wrote a forth.

One said how they’d been impressed with her joining Trevor Nelson last week.

Another suggested there needed to be a SMart reboot.

Kirsten O’Brien became a familiar face of children’s television in the late 1990s and 2000s, where she started her career as a CBBC presenter.

She became known for her on-screen partnership with Otis the Aardvark.

In 1999, she landed the SMart gig, which saw her also take on SMarteenies and Smile.

Whilst she didn’t work with Dick and Dom (Richard McCourt and Dominic Wood), they were all part of the CBBC presenting gang and were close pals.

The former Made in Chelsea star will present the Channel 4 show alongside Clare Balding and Ade Adepitan

Jamie Laing has bagged an exciting new gig ahead of his reality series Raising Chelsea premiering on Disney+.

The ex-Made in Chelsea star is set to join Clare Balding and Ade Adepitan to host The CHANEL J12 Boat Race this Saturday (April 4).

Broadcasting live from the banks of the River Thames, they’ll be stationed in a fresh studio at the starting line in Putney.

Oxford University Boat Club and Cambridge University Boat Club will battle it out oar-to-oar in one of the globe’s oldest and most prestigious amateur sporting events.

Alex Jacques will helm lead commentary, with Olympic gold-medal winning rower Martin Cross and Olympic silver-medal winning rower Jess Eddie as co-commentators, while three-time Olympic gold medallist Pete Reed OBE will serve as pundit, reports OK!.

Broadcaster and mathematician Hannah Fry will also be present to delve into the science of rowing, as well as championing Cambridge Men and Women in her capacity as Professor of Public Understanding of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge.

Coverage of The Boat Race will air from 13:30 to 16:30 on Channel 4 and Channel 4 Streaming, where Oxford and Cambridge Men and Women will tackle the iconic Championship Course, a 4.25-mile stretch of tidal Thames from Putney to Mortlake.

In addition to broadcasting the historic races between the two universities, Channel 4 will also spotlight the Youth Boat Race for the first time on British TV.

The Youth Boat Race, backed by the Oxford and Cambridge Rowing Foundation, is scheduled for Friday 3 April, with coverage included in Saturday’s broadcast.

Discussing his new role, Jamie confessed he “can’t wait”, stating: “The Boat Race is always such a brilliant day, it’s London’s party by the river. Joining Clare, Ade and the team to present coverage of such an iconic occasion is a pure thrill.”

The presenter and podcaster further added: “I can’t wait to meet the incredible athletes taking part and get in amongst the action with the fans on the banks of the Thames and at the finish line to celebrate the amazing accomplishments of the crews.”

This news comes as Jamie and his wife Sophie Habboo prepare to offer their fans a sneak peek into their private life in a new reality show.

The couple, who got hitched in April 2023, are set to feature in a brand new series on Disney+, which is slated to premiere on Thursday (April 2).

The programme will track the reality star couple during Sophie’s pregnancy and the birth of their son Ziggy. Ahead of the three-part series’ release, fans have been given a preview of what they can anticipate from the show.

In a teaser clip, the pair are seen having a heated argument, with Sophie labelling her husband’s behaviour as “unacceptable”. Jaime is shown standing in the doorway as Sophie becomes tearful during the dispute.

He stated: “I’m stressed, I am tired.” Sophie could be heard retorting: “But you just go behind my back, that’s so unacceptable.”

Elsewhere the couple were dealt a “bad news” blow during a hospital visit. Jamie revealed: “Bad news is that the baby, his arm is through the cervix. She (Sophie) needs to have an emergency c-section.”

The smitten duo are seen tearfully supporting each other during the birth of their first child. Jamie tenderly kisses Sophie’s forehead, reassuring her with the words, “It’s alright you got this. You got this”

The CHANEL J12 Boat Race 2026 will air on Channel 4 on Saturday, April 4 from 1.30pm and Raising Chelsea is available to watch on Disney+ from Thursday, April 4