Ken Bruce recalls BBC decision that ‘annoyed’ him: ‘It was political’

Veteran radio presenter says he fears for the future of the BBC in candid new interview

Ken Bruce has hit out at the BBC over a “political decision” he claims they made during his 40 years with the broadcaster.

The radio host, 73, currently presents Greatest Hits Radio, which has doubled its listenership since he joined to an audience of 4.1 million.

He left the BBC when his mid-morning show was the most-listened-to programme in the country. The channel has since lost over one million listeners over the same period.

In a new interview with The Times, Bruce hit out at BBC management over their choice to change the slot for his radio show. He was taken off the mid-morning slot and forced into an unfamiliar late-night timing which he says annoyed him.

“I thought, I haven’t done anything wrong here and it’s all working. It was a political decision,” he said.

Bruce first moved to the mid-morning radio slot in 1986 after working for a short period on late nights in 1990. He then moved into early mornings before returning to mid mornings in January 1992 where he remained until his departure last year.

After informing the BBC of his decision to leave early last year, the veteran presenter says he was asked to leave before his contract had ended which he also found disrespectful.

“I do worry for the future of the BBC. I think it needs to watch where it is going,” he continued.

Bruce said he worried for the future of the BBC (Getty Images for Bauer)

“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.”

The Independent has contacted the BBC for comment.

While he initially said it was his decision to step down from the BBC, Bruce later accused the corporation of pushing him to leave earlier than he had intended, in a tweet shared shortly before his last show.

“I will be presenting my last show on Radio 2 next Friday,” he wrote on 24 February last year. “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!”

Responding to Bruce’s tweet, a BBC spokesperson told The Independent: “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.”

Bruce was replaced by Vernon Kay. During his interview, he alluded to a tendency among younger hosts to keep talking about themselves, which he said could distract viewers from the point of the programme.

Vernon Kay replaced Ken Bruce in his former Radio 2 slot (BBC/ Children In Need)

“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,” he explained.

“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.”

Earlier this year, he told Beyond the Title podcast that Radio 2 was making a bad decision by trying to be “cool”.

“When you’re over 35, you’re more comfortable with yourself and don’t mind being uncool. Radio 2 thinking it’s cool is the worst thing we can do,” he said.