Popular Peterborough radio presenter Kev Lawrence has announced he is stepping away from his breakfast show for at least three months, bringing to a pause more than 25 years of waking up the city on local radio.
Kev, the breakfast presenter on PCRFM, shared the news in a personal New Year statement released today, January 1, via the We Love Peterborough Facebook group, which has 5,700 followers.
“Happy New Year,” he wrote. “After more than 25 years of doing breakfast shows in Peterborough, I’ll be taking a break from the radio.”
Kev explained that the decision comes as he prepares to take up an opportunity to travel and do some work outside of broadcasting in the early part of 2026. During his absence, the PCR breakfast show will be handed over to Mikey Faulkner, who will move from the Drive Time show to Breakfast from Monday, January 19.
“Mikey is a local lad with many years’ experience on radio in Peterborough,” Kev said. “Back in the early 2000’s he was a big part of Lite FM’s success and has been with PCR since 2019. A lovely guy, who I know will be brilliant.”
As for his own future, Kev said the longer-term picture remains open.
Once the three months are up, he may return to radio and event hosting or continue with other work. “Let’s see how it goes,” he added, noting that PCRFM fully supports his career break.
In an emotional reflection on his time behind the microphone, Kev thanked listeners, businesses and the wider community for their support over the years.
“I’m humbled and grateful to have made a career in radio for so long,” he said. “Chatting to local people. Sharing news and spreading a bit of cheer and positivity wherever I could.”
He also highlighted the station’s involvement in city life over the past year, including support for Peterborough Cathedral’s fundraising campaign, hosting events such as the Peterborough Celebrates Festival, the European Culture Festival and the Christmas Lights event, and backing charities and community groups including CPSL Mind, Helping Our Ukrainian Friend’s and Up The Garden Bath.
PCRFM has also run interviews supporting the work of foster carers and many other local organisations.
“Radio is very personal,” Kev wrote. “People allow you to enter their world when they tune in – in the kitchen, in the car, in the workplace. It’s a privilege to have done it for so long, on many different radio stations and I’m pretty sure I’ll miss it a lot.”
However, he added that sometimes opportunities have to be taken. “When an opportunity comes knocking (and it has for me) sometimes you have to take a big bold step. It’s a little bit scary to change lanes… But I’m up for it. The timing feels right.”
Kev signed off simply: “Happy New Year everyone. And thank you again.”
Kev Lawrence has been a familiar voice on local breakfast radio since joining the Hereward FM morning crew in 1997.
Over the years, the show evolved through various partnerships before Hereward became Heart and expanded to cover Cambridge. From 2010, thousands woke up to Kev on Heart Cambridgeshire’s breakfast programme until a station shake-up in 2019 brought that chapter to an end.
PCRFM, where Kev currently presents breakfast, began broadcasting to Peterborough in 2017 from studios at the Herlington Centre in Orton Malborne.
The station broadcasts across the city on 103.2 FM and online, offering music, local news, community information and interviews with local people and organisations.
