Radio 2 why so dumbed down

[Parsley1234]

I cannot stand the relentless drivel that is Zoe Ball oh my god yesterday Stacey Soloman and her diatribe of awfulness and now replacing Graham Norton with Claudia just why ? I am Mrs Brady moany old lady for sure what else can I listen to 🥴

I pretty much only listen to radio 4 now. I feel about 100 years old but I just cannot abide any station that plays a handful of awful 'retro' songs. Every single time I turn on Heart radio they're playing that shitty Sonique song from 2000. It wasn't even good back then.
Our local station has a good consumer show in the mornings but then it's back to radio 4.

I occasionally listen to Zoe Ball on the drive to work and is just so cheerful, I don’t know how she does it. I like her though.

I love Vanessa when she covers for Jeremy Vine, as pp said, she has such an extensive vocabulary and I feel you get a more intelligent discussion with her. Jeremy always seems to go off on some weird, pointless tangent that is actually quite patronising/rude to the people who take the time to phone-in.

I listed to Claudia’s new show and what a shame! It could have been so good but all that nonsense about celebrities naming appliances is just tedious. She doesn’t make the most is the time she has with her guests. I loved Graham Norton before.

Oh, and Steve Wright just bores me now. And I hate the constant ‘shout outs’.

She's better then Ken and miles, miles better than the horrendous Alan Carr.

Agree Zoe is too much. Too Shouty and gushing. Prefer 5live with Nicky Campbell and Rachel Burden. No music though unfortunately. Switch back to R2 for 11:30am for final half hour of Ken Bruce when he has someone choosing their tracks of their years. And then Jeremy Vine. Back to 5Live when Steve Wright comes on. Used to enjoy woman’s hour but not so much now Jane and Jennie are gone.

Because it's radio 2?
Only hear it when I visit my sisters - so have escaped it for ages
Has it got even worse?

Radio 6 music all the way!

I'm a 6music listener, so my faves are Lauren Laverne, Cerys Matthews, Radcliffe and Maconie, Giles Peterson, Guy Garvey (when he's on), Liz Kershaw on Saturdays. I'm afraid Mary Ann Hobbs drives me mad though with her gushy style and recent love for hard-core dance music at 10am

I was quite shocked to discover i really like Vanessa Feltz on R2. Don't feel the hate for Zoe Ball, but I would have loved Sara Cox to have the Breakfast Show. I think she is very funny and warm. She is same age as me so maybe I identify so much with what she comes out with. Miss Simon Mayo so much.

I listened to Sue Perkins cover a few times and she is really good.

But my real guilty R2 pleasure is....Michael Ball. Just love him! I think he's like marmite but I am a big fan!

They have also dumbed down the music and stopped playing older stuff

I have also switched. Radio two was perfect five years ago - why did they have to dick around with it?!

@RickOShay

Can’t bear Zoe Ball in the mornings, I find her depressing for some reason I now listen to my local radio station and am a bit in love with the presenter. He’s lovely.

Do us all a favour and tell us who he is so we can all listen to him and drool over him too

The new tv adverts for radio 2 are awful

@3CCC I totally agree re those cringey new tv ads!!

I’m tempted to try BBC 6 Music now following the comments here. Is the ‘out there’ music (eg weird electronic bleeping!) generally reserved for nighttime?

It totally depends on the show. You get to know each presenter's style. And some are obvious e.g. Craig Charles' show is called "the funk and soul show", which is a giveaway!

I usually like Zoe Ball but I can't listen to her on Radio 2, it's the way she tells us we all love love love everything, get some opinions Zoe!!
Richie is really irritating, I can't listen to him & can't forgive the dreadful 'domestic travel' from the first Lockdown. He's tried to take over Popmaster a bit but Ken's not having it thankfully!
Jeremy Vine's fake sincere/sad/sympathetic voice is so cringe, he's another one who seems to tell us what we all think, no way.
Steve Wright, out of date since around 1990 with his stupid voices. 'Alan Bennett' is just so unfunny.
Sara Cox is ok, she's the only one I'll leave on for a bit now.
Paul Gambacini has ruined Pick of the Pops, its all about the US hits now with nothing quirky ever played.
Rylan is actually not bad at all!
Local radio is very repetitive but I don't mind a bit of Greatest Hits with Mark Goodier or Simon Mayo, avoid Pat Sharp though, out of date & misogynistic too.
Gosh I feel better for that
On the Coast is a good local station for Yorkshire coast, good variety of music, low key presenters so I listen to that as background.

The vast majority of R6 is definitely not weird electronic beeping though.

Can't be doing with Jeremy Vine at all. His show is an amalgamation of stuff he covers on his TV show, the Daily Mail and Mumsnet. It's not so much that I dislike him but I very often dislike the stupid people who phone in to his show and so I have to turn them off to not hear their irrelevant opinions any more. I don't listen to the radio for the equivalent of a daily dose of Question Time.

I want to like Vanessa Feltz but her actual physical speaking voice is terrible for radio.

I really love sara Cox, she's hilarious. Zoe is just trying too hard and it comes across and makes me uncomfortable. Ken Bruce is great. I remember driving with the radio on and the Shangri-las singing past, present and future. At the end he said all matter of fact "oh cheer up love" made me laugh out loud after. Ana matronic is great. Cannot stand dermot o'dreary with all his boring dull music that he then races about as if it's the best thing he's ever heard. He needs to get over himself, John peel, he is not.

@YellowandGreenToBeSeen

BBC Radio London - Vanessa Feltz, Robert Elms, Jo Wood, Eddie Nestor - all day every day. Erudite and entertaining presenters, interesting subjects discussed, great mix of guests, phone ins and music and Funky Friday!

Saturdays are Radio 2 all day but especially Rylan and then Liza Tarbuck (she is brilliant).

That's pretty much my listening too (even though I don't live in London any more).

I do like Graham Norton's new show in Virgin at the weekends too. He plays much better music than on Radio 2 and I think he's made the right move.

The only good thing to have come out of lockdown is the discovery of Radio 3 and Petroc Trelwany on the breakfast show. He just says the bare minimum and the music choice is good. I switched to him because in the end I couldn’t stand the OTT gushing and everyone being “gorgeous “ and “lovely” over on Radio 2.
Jo Whiley is good in the evening.
The best presenters are those who don’t try too hard.

I like Zoe Ball but I wake up to Today then switch over later. I also like Jo Whiley and Sara Cox. And Ken. And Sounds of the Sixties. Other than that I can take it or leave it (but it is at the same time on a lot). I also don't mind Vanessa though, which surprised me. I miss Simon Mayo

Would love Sue Perkins to take a daytime slot.

Ps I also like Mark Radcliffe but am rarely listening when he is on!

What I don't get about Zoe Ball is that her old show on a Saturday afternoon was great. I can't stand her breakfast show though. She sounds and acts as if she has eaten too much sugar and is hyper!

Ken Bruce is the main reason to listen to Radio 2

Enjoy Craig Charles, and love listening Gary Davies when he covers in the afternoon

Zoe Ball .. nope, just way too much, and all that “look at my showbiz mates, my life is so much better than yours”

Vine is just about provoking reactions, it’s like The Mail for your ears.

Liza Tarbuck I like, Rylan .... but when in the name of holy hell are they getting rid of Elaine Page.. ?? just awful

At home it's Times Radio for current affairs chat and Radio 6 Music.
In our old banger car options are limited so I incessantly channel hop.. cant seem to listen to CDs anymore for some reason. Dont mind Zoe Ball for the nursery run actually.