Ken Bruce reveals the real reason he left Radio 2: Broadcasting great says he didn’t like being forced to play new music – and is still upset BBC bosses forced him to do it early to stop to prevent him from badmouthing his colleagues on the show
- Ken Bruce attracted 8.3 million listeners until he left the BBC in March and moved to his competitor
- Now he has revealed the real reason he quit his job at Greatest Hits Radio
Former Radio 2 presenter Ken Bruce has spoken for the first time about the real reasons he left the station. He said he didn’t like some of the new music he had to play and feared being seen as a “grumpy old man” by younger colleagues.
The veteran broadcaster attracted 8.3 million listeners to its BBC show until it moved to commercial rival Greatest Hits Radio in March, where it increased its morning audience by more than 1.25 million. Meanwhile, his old Radio 2 slot, now occupied by Vernon Kay, lost 1.4 million listeners in its first three months without him.
Previously, the 72-year-old said he left the BBC after three decades in the same slot because it was “time for a change” and it “felt like the natural culmination of some planning I’ve been doing”.
But now he revealed he had decided to jump ship before he became “bitter and hardened”, saying: “It took a long time and I thought I’d do the same thing every day.”
The 72-year-old previously said he was leaving the BBC after three decades in the same slot because it was “time for a change”.
Ken Bruce said he was afraid of being seen as a “grumpy old man.” Pictured is a portrait of radio presenter Ken Bruce in the studio, photographed for Radio Times in January 1984
“There was a reason to say that I can’t be as enthusiastic about the new music that I have to play as I am about the old music.” And I didn’t want to get to the point of badmouthing some of the music [or] pretend I like it.’
The father of six explained: “I definitely thought I had something more to offer. “I didn’t want to slow down for the next three or four years and still do the same show, but everyone around me was getting younger and think, “Am I that old guy in the corner?”
“I was the boy on the ward and then became a veteran almost overnight, and I didn’t want to be the old complainer in the corner saying, ‘Things aren’t what they used to be,’ or [to] Every new idea says, “No, we tried that, it didn’t work,” no matter what. I just felt like I was becoming even more bitter and hardened.’
Bruce said the move to Greatest Hits Radio had given him new life, stressing: “I feel like it has rejuvenated me to some extent. “I loved working for the BBC. I think it’s a great institution. But maybe you can’t blame me for just trying something different over the last few years.”
His comments come on an upcoming episode of Gyles Brandreth’s podcast series Rosebud, which began on Friday. Bruce also told Brandreth that he could never imagine retiring and intended to continue broadcasting until he was no longer physically able or was laid off.
Radio legend Ken Bruce said the move to Greatest Hits Radio had given him new life
Undated handout image from Ken Bruce’s Secret 60s, published by Greatest Hits Radio, featuring the decade’s “most iconic songs and legendary singers.”
His departure from the BBC ended somewhat acrimoniously after he was asked to leave before the end of his contract, reportedly because bosses feared he was using his airtime as “free advertising” for his new rival show.
He said he found the decision “disappointing,” adding, “I thought, ‘Come on, you can trust me, I’m not going to play Dave Lee Travis.’ [and] Start badmouthing everyone” because I had a lovely time at the BBC. So it was all a bit… unnecessary. The BBC is entirely within its rights to ask me to step down a little sooner. But for 17 days it seems a disgrace.”
Travis left Radio 1 when it was on air in 1993 and was critical of the station’s changes.
But Bruce holds no lasting grudge against his old employer, describing the BBC as “the best broadcasting organization in the world”.
His program on Greatest Hits Radio, owned by media giant Bauer, runs weekdays from 10am to 1pm and includes the PopMaster quiz he created for his Radio 2 show. It was also recently adapted for television by Channel 4.