Shock moment BBC Radio 2 drops off air as building evacuated in fire panic

BBC Radio 2 went off air for the first time in two decades during a fire scare today.

The London building was evacuated in a panic – forcing the station’s back up tape to kick in when the air waves fell silent.

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The schedule was interrupted for ten mins before host Jeremy Vine had to cancel the next segment on cremation.

BBCV Radio 6 Music was also impacted by the fire alarm.

Employees based at Broadcasting House, off Oxford Street, were turfed outside while the alleged fire was investigated.

Jeremy told listeners: “It’s BBC Radio 2. Jeremy Vine here. I do apologise, we did just have a proper fire alarm here.

“There wasn’t a fire but we had the thing that I’ve not had in 20 years where not just one light goes off but two.

“The orange light which means there could be a fire and then the red light and then the announcement in the studio which looked as if there was one.

“We came out the building. We stood outside in the sun. There’s no fire, so we came back in.

“Because there’s no fire we are going to cancel the item we were doing on cremation.

“We will talk later to Julia Donaldson later about World Book Day.”

One listener said on X: “Wow.. Actual dead air live on BBC Radio 2.

“Fire alarm goes off at the studios during Jeremy Vine slot and the building’s been evacuated by the guess of it..

“Never heard a radio station go silent like that before and now it seems like it’s on auto-pilot..”