Ken Bruce has revealed that he chooses not to listen to Vernon Kay’s BBC Radio 2 show after the Bolton host replaced him at the station.
The veteran Scottish broadcaster, 74, worked for the BBC for more than four decades before leaving for pastures new in 2023.
Ken joined Greatest Hits Radio, leaving his mid-morning slot on Radio 2 free – Vernon stepped into his shoes with listening figures sitting at 8.1million.
However, new stats published this week have revealed that, in the two years since Ken’s departure, Vernon’s listener base has dropped to 6.6m.
Now, in a new interview, Ken has revealed that he’s elected not to tune in to Vernon’s morning show – but it has nothing to do with him ‘boycotting’ the BBC.
Speaking to Saga, he said: ‘I’m always asked if I listen to Vernon Kay, who took over the old show on Radio 2 and I always say, “No”.
‘It’s not because I’m boycotting the BBC – I still listen to Radio 3 and archive shows on 4 Extra – but because I’m part of a new family now, Bauer Radio.’
He continued: ‘I want to know what our guys are up to, so I listen to our shows. Am I aware audience figures for the Radio 2 show have fallen since I left? Yes. Did some follow me over to Greatest Hits Radio? Yes.
‘You won’t hear me gloating or badmouthing the BBC, though. My new show’s doing well – apparently, the audience has doubled since I joined – and that’s all that matters.’
Ken left the BBC after 46 years in 2023, and listening figures from that time showed that a lot of his audience appeared to follow him to Greatest Hits Radio.
The station saw its average weekly listeners drop by 7% from 14.5m in January to March 2023 to 13.5m in April to June of the same year.
That was the largest quarterly fall for Radio 2 since audience research body Rajar resumed collecting data in September 2021, after it was paused at the start of the pandemic.
At the same time, Greatest Hits Radio saw a 13% jump in its average weekly audience, from 5.1m in January-March to 5.8m in April-June, along with a 59% increase year-on-year.
Ken said two years ago: ‘I’ve always said that it’s not really about the numbers and it’s not, for me at least, but I’m delighted to hear today’s news for the team here at my new home, Greatest Hits Radio.
‘My first four months have flown by and I’ve loved every minute of it – and there’s much more to come.’
Upon leaving Radio 2, he said: ‘‘Nothing stays the same forever and I have decided the time is right for me to move on from Radio 2 when I reach the end of my current contract in March.
‘It’s been a tremendously happy time for me: I’ve made many friends and worked with many wonderful colleagues.
‘However, I feel that after 45 years of full-time broadcasting on BBC Radio it’s time for a change.
‘I would stress that this is entirely my decision but some new opportunities have come up and I would like to continue my career in a slightly different way in the next few years, the details of which will be revealed shortly.’
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.