New Pictures Chris Evans kicks off his new Virgin Radio breakfast show

Chris Evans (pictured today) said it was 'great to be back at Virgin after leaving the BBC where he was the corporation's highest paid DJ

Chris Evans has started his new Virgin Radio breakfast show as he fights to take listeners from Zoe Ball - but revealed his BBC reveal sent him a 'lovely' text wishing him luck.

The star DJ, 52, kicked it off with a live performance from The Verve's Richard Ashcroft who played the band's hit Lucky Man and said: 'This one's for Chris'.

Evans, who left the BBC in December after eight years of the prized Radio 2 early morning slot.

Addressing the move to his new listeners he said: ‘BBC Radio 2 – that’s where we were, but not anymore and we wish them all the best.

‘People ask me about what it’s like going up against Zoe and I say i’s good for our business.

He added: ‘And thanks for your lovely text message last night Zoe – I love you and always will’. 

The broadcaster departed the BBC after eight years in command of the early morning slot on BBC Radio 2, and had been with the broadcaster since 2005.

As part of his exit deal it appears that Evans has been able to bring over many of his old jingles.

The programme also features the return of items that were a staple on his BBC show, such as Big Screen Belter, Golden Oldie and Gobsmackers.

He has also convinced bosses to drop adverts for his show as listeners, who remarked on how similar it was to his BBC show. 

One said: 'So Chris Evans new show is IDENTICAL to his old show on @BBCRadio2 . Same team, same features, even the same jingles. The only difference is he's louder'.

Another tweeted: 'Bit surprised all the opening jingles were the same when it was positioned as a new challenge. Same show different station then'.

One critic said: Slightly disappointed that @achrisevans brand new show on @VirginRadioUK has started exactly the same as his old @BBCRadio2 show did. Same jingles as well??'.

But another responded: 'Haha - even the jingles are the same ones! The @achrisevans breakfast show on @VirginRadioUK is *the same show*... which I suspect will actually make a lot of people very happy'.  

Evans' first show was centred around 5 songs by Richard Ashcroft (both pictured arriving for the show today)

Zoe Ball pictured during her new debut show today as she took over from Chris Evans on the Radio 2 breakfast show a week ago

Kicking off the show this morning told listeners: 'This is our breakfast show live on Virgin Radio.

'It's so great to be back at Virgin and I have to say it's a real treat. I feel blessed and we couldn't be more grateful'. 

Introducing Ashcroft he said: 'I just press buttons, I don't play the songs, so how about we get a musician to play one live.'   

Evans went for Queen's Don't Stop Me Now as his second song of the day and his first guests are Fay Ripley, Romesh Ranganathan, Paul Whitehouse, Rob Beckett and Richard Ashcroft.  

The presenter had previously said of his return to Virgin from the BBC: 'I survived it and lived to tell the tale. I can see bright, bright sunshine, I can see blue, blue skies and I can't wait to get to Virgin Radio.'

A sponsorship deal from Sky means that the show will be broadcast without advert breaks, mimicking the listening experience on the BBC. It will air on weekdays between 6.30am and 10am.

The first week of his show will be a 'week of Fridays' and will feature guests and a live music performance every day, in a format usually reserved for the end of the week.

Listeners are invited to submit their suggestions for the best song they have heard in a film, a track that takes them down memory lane and the songs that get them going in the morning.

Zoe Ball was named as successor in the Radio 2 breakfast slot, and began her new role a week before Evans on January 14.  

Listeners said they were delighted to hear Evans back on the radio but admitted that it was just his BBC show on Virgin

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News Photo Chris Evans kicks off his new Virgin Radio breakfast show
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