Ken Bruce leaving BBC Radio 2 after 31 years to move to Greatest Hits

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Legendary radio presenter Ken Bruce has announced he is leaving his weekday show on BBC Radio 2 and moving to rival station Greatest Hits Radio.

Ken Bruce has announced that he will be leaving his weekday mid-morning show on BBC Radio 2 after 31 years and moving to rival station Greatest Hits. Bruce’s radio slot is the most listened-to show on radio in the UK, and he will send his final programme in March.

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On his programme, the radio presenter said: "I have decided the time is right for me to move on from Radio 2," adding he has had "a tremendously happy time" but that it was "time for a change".

"I’ll reach the end of my current contract in March, and so at that point I will be moving on from Radio 2. I have been here for quite a long time now, and it possibly is time to move over and let somebody else have a go."

According to industry body Rajar, Ken Bruce’s weekday show currently has more that 8.5 million listeners every week. His programme is well known for its daily Popmaster quiz, the popular music quiz Bruce has been hosting since February 1998.

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In a statement by his new employer, Greatest Hits Radio, Bruce announced that he would bring Popmaster with him to his new programme, which will air between 10am and 1pm from April 3, 2023.

The 71 year old Glasgow born radio host has been with the BBC since 1977, and started broadcasting his Radio 2 show 39 years ago in 1984. He jumped back and forth between evening and morning shows until he got his current slot in 1994.

On leaving the BBC, Bruce said: "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."

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Director of BBC Music, Lorna Clarke, said Ken Bruce is "an extraordinary broadcaster with an exceptional career over many decades".

Ken Bruce will leave BBC Radio 2 after more than 30 years in the roleKen Bruce will leave BBC Radio 2 after more than 30 years in the role
Ken Bruce will leave BBC Radio 2 after more than 30 years in the role | BBC

Clarke added: "He has been part of every significant occasion marked by BBC Radio 2 and we, his faithful audience and the Radio 2 all-star line-up will miss his warm humour and wit. Congratulations on a brilliant career."

Ben Cooper of Bauer Audio UK, Greatest Hits parent company, said Bruce was "a broadcasting legend, with the biggest radio show in the UK. So as well as today being an exciting announcement for Greatest Hits Radio and its growing audience, it is a hugely significant moment for the industry."

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Apart from his daily Radio 2 show, Bruce has been the commentator of the Eurovision Song Contest on the radio station since 1998. According to the BBC, he earned between £385,000 and £389,999 in 2021-2022.

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