‘Delight’ as Lauren Laverne set to return to BBC work after cancer diagnosis

BBC presenter Lauren Laverne is set to return to working at the corporation this month following a cancer diagnosis.

Laverne, 46, will begin recording episodes of The One Show and BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs in November after being absent from the studios for around three months.

A BBC spokeswoman said: “We’re delighted to welcome Lauren back to the studio this month for The One Show and Desert Island Discs, with new episodes airing on Radio 4 from 1 December, and we look forward to welcoming Lauren back to BBC Radio 6 Music in the new year.”

Laverne last presented her 6 Music show on August 15, and Nick Grimshaw, Nemone Metaxas, and Deb Grant are among the presenters who have been sitting in since then.

The last new episode of Desert Island Discs was with Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, and came out on August 11, and since then extended and classical editions of the interview programme have been airing on Radio 4.

That same month, she last presented The One Show.

A new episode of Desert Island Discs will come out on December 1, and will be a pre-recorded interview with comedian Mark Steel that is believed to have been done by Laverne before she went on leave.

She will return to record more episodes as well as Christmas editions of the series over the next few weeks, which are set to be next announced soon.

Laverne announced on August 21, that she has a “cancer diagnosis”, and stressed that it was caught “early and unexpectedly during a screening test”.

“I am expected to make a full recovery,” she added.

“To my family and friends who have been absolutely extraordinary every step of the way – I am so very grateful and love you so much.

“And of course thank you to my colleagues.”

She cited staff at 6 Music, The One Show, Desert Island Discs and Independent Talent Group “for their support – and for giving me the time off that I need to get better”.

Laverne has not specified what cancer she has.