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"I say it's very exciting," Evans said as he opened his new show.
"It's so good to go back to Virgin and I have to say it's a real treat, we are blessed, we could not be more grateful," he added.
Singer Richard Ashcroft was in the studio with Evans to play the first live song – Lucky Man from his former band The Verve.
"We talked a lot about the first song I'm going to play," Evans said before introducing the singer.
"But I'm pushing buttons, I do not play songs, any more than musicians, why do not we ask a musician to play a song live, why not Richard Ashcroft?"
Other guests who participated in the first Virgin show of Evans were actors Fay Ripley and Paul Whitehouse.
Comedians Romesh Ranganathan and Rob Beckett were also invited to promote their Sky One show.
Sky is sponsoring Evans' show, which means that it will not broadcast any advertising – a first for a commercial radio breakfast show.
Evans was photographed in front of Virgin Radio studios in South London before his first show
Evans explained that he had signed a three-year contract with Virgin, but that he was likely to extend it to five years.
Gobsmackers, Golden Oldie and Big Screen Belter are among the novelties of the program, where listeners ask for their favorite song from the soundtrack of a movie.
Evans informed the listeners of two changes since he had heard about the radio for the last time: his family had a new dog and he no longer owned a smartphone.
The DJ told listeners that Zoe Ball, who picked up the BBC Radio 2 breakfast show, sent him a message this weekend wishing him good luck.
Rejecting rumors of rivalry between the two, Evans said, "If anyone is good at anything, there is room for everyone, and that contributes to the quality of the trade."
Songs from Blondie, Queen, Coldplay, Stereophonics, KT Tunstall, Oasis, Kings of Leon and Blossoms were on Evans' first show on Virgin, specializing in rock and indie music.
Roy Martin of Radio Today described the first program as "the same show, another station".
"Virgin Radio's Chris Evans Breakfast Show has the same jingles, the same people and the same energy as its BBC Radio 2 show," he said.
James Corden was among those at Welcome Evans on the air on Twitter, writing: "It makes me feel incredibly nostalgic, both warm and confused."
The listeners were also generally positive about the show, although some had trouble finding the only Virgin digital channel on their radios.
The new 52-year-old program, which will run weekdays from 6:30 to 10:00 am, is unusual for a commercial radio station in that it will not broadcast advertising.
Instead, the show is sponsored by Sky, Evans promoting their programs as it pbades.
Many former members of the Evans team followed him to Virgin for the new show, including sports journalist Vbados Alexander and travel presenter Rachel Horne.
But his former journalist Moira Stuart does not join them, she turns instead to Clbadic FM.
Evans invited listeners to re-tune their radios to receive Virgin in a promotional ad
Virgin Radio Evans did not join the one he left in 2001. This station was renamed Absolute Radio in 2008.
Instead, he joined a new version of Virgin Radio, which was launched in March 2016. Edith Bowman was the first breakfast facilitator, where she stayed for 18 months.
Sam Pinkham and Amy Voce then took over. The two are now moving to different shows on the station with Evans' arrival.
Matt Richardson and Kate Lawler, former winner of Big Brother, are other Virgin presenters.
The launch of Virgin Radio was so recent that, as part of the marketing campaign of the breakfast show, Evans encouraged listeners to re-tune their radios, as many of them can not currently receive the station.
Virgin currently attracts around 414,000 listeners a week, but this number is likely to jump, given Evans' profile.
Her first show on Virgin comes a week after Zoe Ball debuted as Evans' successor on BBC Radio 2, becoming the first woman to animate the coveted breakfast slot.
Zoe Ball took over Radio 2's breakfast, presented by Evans for nine years.
The two men compete for the first battle of listeners for the first time since 1997, when Ball hosted the BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show, while Evans debuted at Virgin's previous iteration.
Last year, Evans was the BBC's second highest-paid star, earning £ 1.6 million a year.
It was reported that Virgin would earn more than that, but he denied that his move was for money.
When he announced his departure and explained his decision in September 2018, he said: "Some of us are mountaineers [but] If you arrive at the top of your favorite mountain and stay there, you become an observer. I want to keep climbing. "
He also suggested taking part in the upcoming Strictly Come Dancing series, in which he will be regularly interviewed by his new rival, Ball, who hosts the new show, It Takes Two.
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