Ken Bruce’s exit from Radio 2 was anything but amicable (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
Ken Bruce has expressed concern for the future of the BBC following his exit.
The broadcaster, 73, hosted a weekday mid-morning show on BBC Radio 2 between 1986 and 2023 before his familiar mid-morning slot was changed to a late-night show.
It was at this time that Ken decided to hand in his resignation, and, in April last year, he left to join Greatest Hits Radio.
Reflecting on his exit, the Scottish radio presenter has now said he believes politics influenced the Beeb to nudge him out, hence his frustration with a new generation of presenters taking over the airwaves.
In a new interview, Ken vented about younger stars who spend much of their time on the mic regaling tales from their own lives.
‘I think some younger people in broadcasting, less experienced people, can say, “They want to hear me talk about myself.” And that’s not necessarily true,’ Ken said.
The presenter worries about the future of the BBC (Picture: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire)
He added to The Times: ‘It’s not about what you say, it’s what you don’t say on radio.
‘You don’t have to talk a lot to make an impression. You can do that in three words or a sentence. You don’t have to talk for four minutes about what you were doing or what you thought was funny.’
Sharing his worries for the direction the BBC might be heading in, Ken continued: ‘I do worry for the future of the BBC. I think it needs to watch where it is going.
‘Commercial radio is really healthy; it is growing and growing and growing. And I just think it’s difficult to reinvent something [the Radio 2 schedule] that has been successful for many years.
‘It’s a slow organisation to turn around, like a supertanker. It needs people with vision to make sure it goes the right way.’
This isn’t the first time Ken has voiced his feelings towards the broadcaster since his departure.
Ken previously urged BBC Radio 2 to stop trying to be ‘cool’ (Picture: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
Shortly before fronting his final show last spring, he wrote on X: ‘I will be presenting my last show on Radio 2 next Friday. I had intended fulfilling my contract until the end of March but the BBC has decided it wants me to leave earlier. Let’s enjoy the week ahead!’
A spokesperson responded to Ken’s remarks at the time with: ‘Ken decided to leave Radio 2 and it’s always been known he’s leaving in March.
‘Returning to Wogan House for a week after a month of broadcasting the Piano Room sessions at Maida Vale provided a natural break.’
‘We wish Ken all the best for the future,’ they concluded.
Unfortunately for the BBC, Ken’s resignation has taken a toll on their Radio 2 figures, as he seemingly took the listeners with him.
Over one million people now no longer tune in, while he secures an average of 3.8million listeners per week at Greatest Hits, which Ken believes is down to Radio 2 attempting to market itself as a ‘cool’ station.
He presented on the BBC airwaves for three decades before joining Greatest Hits last year (Picture: Joseph Okpako/WireImage)
Imploring them to ditch this mindset, the legendary host wants them to focus on appealing to those over the age of 35.
Earlier this summer, Ken told the Beyond The Title podcast: ‘There should always be a clear division between Radio 1 and Radio 2. It’s a state of mind, not just about the music played.’
He then stated that ‘Radio 2 thinking it’s cool is the worst thing we can do’, to which a spokesperson responded: ‘Radio 2, the UK’s most listened to radio station with 13.2million listeners each week, continues to target an audience aged 35+, a target that has remained unchanged for decades.’
They added to Metro.co.uk that Vernon Kay, who presents Radio 2’s weekday mid-morning show, remains the UK’s most listened-to radio programme with 6.75 million listeners each week.
Vernon was officially confirmed to be Ken’s replacement last February. BBC DJ Gary Davies filled in as a mid-morning host until last May before Vernon took over permanently.
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