Sarah Kennedy is leaving BBC Radio 2 after 17 years on the early show, and almost 35 years since first joining the station.
Her 5am till 7am morning programme will be covered by Lynn Parsons until a full time replacement has been found.
Sarah comments: "After 17 years of early starts, the temptation of destroying my alarm clock has proved too much to resist and as I have been spared for this long, it's time for a change. I shall miss my Dawn Patrollers – their wit, wisdom and warmth, more than I can put into words. After I've taken a long-earned rest, I'm looking forward to new opportunities, hopefully inside and outside broadcasting."
Bob Shennan, Controller of Radio 2 and 6 Music, says: "Sarah has entertained Radio 2 listeners for over 20 years with energy and enthusiasm, gaining an army of fans with her inimitable style of broadcasting. Everyone at Radio 2 would like to thank Sarah for her many years of sterling service, and wish her the very best of luck for the future. We shall miss her."
Sarah kicked off her radio career in Singapore, before joining Radio 2 in 1976 to present Family Favourites, a record request show that linked families at home with their loved ones in the British forces stationed abroad, as well as other programmes.
Sarah launched the Dawn Patrol from 5-7am in January 1993, and released her first book in the following year entitled The Terrible Twos, followed by a second edition and then a third volume entitled, Terrible Pets. She published her first novel, a best selling thriller called Charlotte's Friends in 1997.
A schedule change in 1994 saw her show run from 6-7.30am, with a weekly listener reach peaking at 4.76m. She reverted back to 5-7am in January 2010, following Chris Evans' move to Breakfast.
In 1995, Sarah won a prestigious Sony Gold Radio Award for her early breakfast programme and a decade later, Sarah was awarded an MBE for services to broadcasting.
Lynn is also covering the breakfast show on Smooth Radio for three months from October 4th.