Vernon Kay's BBC Radio 2 replacement announced as he goes on hiatus

Vernon Kay's BBC Radio 2 replacement has been announced as he takes time off to run an ultra marathon for Children In Need.

BBC Radio 2 shared a video of the 49-year-old host going through a list of  "candidates" potentially taking the temporary position. 

"Noel Edmonds? No," he said in the clip. "Mr Blobby? No." He then smiled and said: "Oh here we go, here we go," as he made a phone call, which was answered by Top Gear host Paddy McGuinness.

The pair greeted each other then Kay asked him to host a quiz. "Oh, didn't know you still did that." Paddy joked referencing Kay's previous stint on Family Fortunes.

"No, not that one!" Kay showed back. "Ten To The Top. BBC Radio 2 at 10:30 every morning - soon to be award-winning."

Kay, who is married to Strictly host Tess Daly, then revealed that he would be embarking on the Children in Need challenge, which will see him running from London's Victoria Park to Bolton Wanderers stadium.

He is expected to participate in a string of marathons and ultramarathons over the course of four days - from Tuesday, November 14 to Friday, November 17.

Referring to the marathons, he said: "I was just settling into my new mid-morning routine and now this!"

Earlier this year, Ken Bruce announced that he would be leaving his position on BBC Radio 2 after 31 years.

It was later announced that Kay would be his replacement.

Kay recently told Radio Times that he "expected" the listenership to drop.  "There was a dip when Ken Bruce left but that’s to be expected," he admitted.

“Ken’s a radio icon and there’s a lot of love for him. That’s proven by him taking some of the audience with him to Greatest Hits, which is fabulous for him."