New photo Chris Evans thanks fans during his last breakfast show on BBC Radio 2

Chris Evans told listeners today: 'It is sad. It's a sad day today'

Chris Evans asked listeners not to 'shed too many tears' as he began his final breakfast show on Radio 2.

The broadcaster, who has been at the BBC station since 2005 and has had the breakfast slot since January 2010, is going to Virgin, almost 20 years after he left.

Evans, 52, told listeners this morning: 'It is sad. It's a sad day today. 

'But it is also an exciting day for everyone. You've got to turn the pages sometimes. 

'If you wait for other people to turn them it might never happen, you know what I am saying?'

The Christmas Eve show is the former TFI Friday and Top Gear host's last before he is replaced by Zoe Ball in the new year.

Replying to emails and text messages, Evans asked fans: 'Please don't shed too many tears during our final morning.'

He added: 'This is your show. It's a two-way street today. Truly, definitively. It is your input.'

His Virgin Radio breakfast show will begin on January 21.

Chris Evans said he was excited to be hosting his final BBC Radio 2 breakfast show on Christmas Eve.

Chris Evans, pictured when he announced he was leaving in September, has been at the BBC station since 2005

He said: 'It's Christmas Eve. It's so exciting, I'm so excited. Nine years. We thought it was eight. It was nine on the breakfast show.'

Evans explained that his team had created a yearbook of their favourite moments.

He said: 'They've put together this lovely album of the special moments. Glastonbury in the mud, when we recorded from my house. 

The Pudsy cup, more recent photographs, the Globe Theatre, the anniversary of the Normandy landings, Prince Harry, then the big anniversary of the Dambusters at Biggin Hill. Lovely, lovely book this is.' 

Chris Evans, with his replacement, Zoe Ball, who will take over hosting when Evans departs the show

Evans said he finally understood viewers' sadness at his departure after listening to a selection of moments from the past year.

The clips featured recordings of Evans' coverage of the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, BBC Children in Need and the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.

He said: 'I forgot about the Olympics. I forgot about the whole of the Olympics that we did. The thing is, we have had a right laugh. We've had a right laugh.

MEMORABLE MOMENTS FROM CHRIS EVANS' CAREER

1983: Chris Evans began his professional career at Piccadilly Radio

1990: He became a presenter at BBC London radio station GLR on the Saturday afternoon show. 

1992: He presented a Sunday afternoon show on BBC Radio 1, replacing Phillip Schofield.

1993:  Evans left GLR and joined the new Virgin Radio. Six weeks later he walked out 

1995: He began presenting BBC Radio 1's flagship breakfast show.

1997: He quits the BBC Breakfast show

1997: He buys Virgin Radio and rejoins as breakfast show host  

2000: He sells the station to Scottish Media Group

2001: Evans is sacked for failing to show up to work for six days

2005: He joins Radio 2 

2010 The DJ replaces Sir Terry Wogan in the breakfast slot  

2015: He takes over the helm of Top Gear, but quits after one series  

'Suddenly I get it. Suddenly I get what all the texts are about. Listening back to the show, it's not half bad, is it? It's not Terry [Wogan], but it's not bad, is it? 

'I mean, with the amount of brain cells I have, and after he left this mortal coil.' 

The Reverend Kate Bottley also thanked Evans for featuring her on his breakfast show's Pause for Thought section.

The former Gogglebox star said: 'Four and a half years on since my first Pause for Thought, it's been a blast, love and blessings to Chris Evans for the next bit of the adventure BBC Radio 2 go in peace.'  

Following an emotional speech from Evans, Zoe Ball tweeted: 'Wow Chris Evans that was a very special speech. Congrats young chap. Thank you for the radio joy. 

'Merry Christmas to you Tash and the monkeys @BBCRadio2'.

Evans held back sobs as he thanked his family and wife for supporting him during his broadcasting career.

He said: 'Thank you to my family for putting up with me, and for having someone in your personal orbit that does a job like this, particularly my daughter Jane.

'Thank you to you all for listening but most of all I would like to thank my wife Natasha, my gravity and my guiding light, for giving me enough certainty to feel confident enough to embark upon a bit of uncertainty again.

'It is what I like. I crave the uncertainty but you can only do that against a backdrop of certainty and security. 

'Uncertainty is where creativity lives. Comfort and creativity are not the great bedfellows, let me tell you. None of us look forward to saying goodbye to the things and people we love.'

Evans then thanked the BBC for inviting him to return and play 'that incredible music' once again.

He said: 'Thank you to the BBC for supporting me, and trusting me with one of their precious microphones for the last years, for allowing me to grow every minute of every day that I have been on air.

'Live from Glastonbury, live from the beaches of northern France for the commemoration of the Normandy landings or having a blast in the middle of one of our regular Friday shows.

'The mayhem there of the usually attendant nonsense that they involve. And yes, all that incredible music. Right here in Terry's old studio. Studio 6C at Wogan House in London.'   

Chris Evans' new home: What is Virgin Radio?

Chris Evans' new home, Virgin Radio, notches up just 413,000 listeners a week.

It is only available on digital platforms.

Evans hosted Virgin Radio's Breakfast Show from 1997 to 2001, when he was sacked for 'breach of contract'.

He failed to turn up for work after several highly-publicised drinking sessions with his then wife Billie Piper.

In 2003, he lost his battle for multimillion-pound damages against the radio station where he was once the star.

Evans had claimed that Virgin Radio withheld £8.6 million of his share options after terminating his breakfast show contract.

Evans' production company Ginger Media Group snapped up Virgin Radio for £85 million in 1997.

He sold Virgin Radio to Scottish Media Group  for £225 million in 2000.

Virgin Radio became Absolute Radio in 2008.   

Virgin Radio returned to the UK airwaves in March 2016. 

It is owned by Wireless, which also comprises talkSPORT and talkRADIO as well as 30 local radio stations in the UK and Ireland.

Sir Richard Branson owns the intellectual property on the Virgin brand, which is licensed to Wireless. 

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News Pictures Chris Evans thanks fans during his last breakfast show on BBC Radio 2

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