02 September 2023 , 21:13
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Ken Bruce has revealed the reason behind his departure from Radio 2, expressing his disappointment in being asked to leave early by the BBC.
The veteran broadcaster announced he was leaving the station in January after 31 years in the mid-morning slot. He left in March, heading to rival Greatest Hits Radio, taking 1.25 million listeners with him.
And now the 72-year-old has revealed that he didn't like being forced to play new music, admitting he had started to feel "bitter and entrenched".
Ken explained: "It was a long time and I thought 'I'm doing the same thing every day'.
Ken admitted it was "a shame" that his contract was cut short after working for the BBC for so long (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Ken Bruce worked on Radio 2 for 31 years (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)"There was a point of saying that I can't enthuse over all the new music I'm having to play as much as I could over the old music. And I didn't want to get to the stage where I was badmouthing some of the music [or] pretending to like it."
Radio 2 listening figures plunge as fans snub station after veteran DJs dumped
As reported by Mail Online, Ken makes the comments in an upcoming episode of ex-MP and broadcaster Gyles Brandreth's new podcast, Rosebud.
Ken said that he felt he still had more to offer in his career and didn't want to become the "old bloke in the corner". He explained how he felt like he'd suddenly become the oldest at the station, and didn't want to become more "bitter and entrenched". He also added he didn't want to start shooting down new ideas because he'd been working there for so long.
His new job at Greatest Hits Radio has left him feeling "rejuvenated" (PA)After starting his new job at media conglomerate Bauer, he said he feels like he's "rejuvenated" and although he loved working for the BBC, he felt the time was right to 'try something else'.
But despite his 31 years of dedication to the BBC, his time with the company came to an abrupt end, when he was asked to leave early after announcing his departure.
Ken added: "I thought, 'Come on, you can trust me, I'm not going to do a Dave Lee Travis [and] start badmouthing everybody', because I had a lovely time at the BBC. So it was all a bit... unnecessary. It's entirely within the BBC's right to ask me to step away a little early. But for the sake of 17 days, it seems a shame."
Radio 2 listeners were shocked when Ken broke the news that his contract had been cut short. He tweeted in February: "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!"
It began a fierce debate about ageism at the BBC, with the broadcaster being accused of pushing out older stars, including Paul O'Grady, Steve Wright and Vanessa Feltz.