Ken Bruce has just announced he’s leaving Radio 2!

[HannahinHampshire]

Says it’s entirely his own decision. End of an era for me

I'm finding it increasingly difficult to listen to R2 these days - moved to GH drivetime with Simon Mayo a couple of years ago as, lovely though Sara Cox is, her giggly schoolgirly charms just didn't work for me on the drive home., I've got used to Zoe Ball in the mornings but wish she would get rid of both Richie A and Tina D as they both irritate me! Not sure why, I'm sure they are lovely people but they 'make my teeth itch' when they speak!

Do love Nikki Chapman on the early show and really liked it when she stood in for Zoe a few times. I'd like her to be a permanent Breakfast Show host. Can't stand JV like many people or Scott Mills.

It will be a younger person, designed to appeal to the listener they are chasing, a 35-44-year-old woman who currently listens to a 90s commercial station.Radio 2 is also overrun with camp-ish presenters who I presume the station thinks have a broad appeal.

The trouble with getting rid of “old” listeners is that there’s no non-commercial alternative.

When I was young I was an avid Radio 1 fan and my mum and dad listened to Radio 2. Now there’s not much difference in the evenings - it used to be that radio 2 had some niche offerings eg The Organist Entertains but now it’s wall-to-wall dance/r&b etc which appeals to….. who in the evenings? Their target listener is highly unlikely to be tuning in.

I’ll follow Ken to Greatest Hits during the week but I do like R2 at the weekend. Claudia is good on Saturday mornings, Paul Gambacinis Pick of the Pops is great especially when he’s doing 70s or 80s, I like Rylan and I love Lisa Tarbuck for sheer randomness. Sounds of the 70s is great too. (Hate the musicals show though).

I heard that Rylan is the favourite to take over. If that is the case then it is a big change from Ken Bruce. I don’t think I could stand it, just listening to him on the Cinch adverts with the overdone accent is too much.

I LOVE Liza’s show, it’s so fun and full of joy!

Occasionally, I will leap - violently if necessary - to turn off the radio when certain things come on (looking at you, Jess Glynne).

If Richie Anderson got the show, I’d have to install some kind of transmission blocker, or else I’d probably be hospitalised.

GHR is amazing already, so this will be a bonus. Lots of snobby people about 'commercial' radio but honestly I'd rather listen to a few adverts every 20 mins than a lot of the chat that BBC presenters force us to listen to. It's like a members-only club sometimes with in-jokes that go way over your head unless you listen all day every day.

I like listening to Ken Bruce very much but I’m not sitting through adverts for anyone!

I too would like Vanessa Feltz or Liza Tarbuck to take over, but they won’t get it. It will be some tiresome twat who the BBC think will attract a younger audience. Can’t believe that anyone suggested the gruesome Vernon Kay!

Worst case scenario is that we end up with what I describe as an ‘ITV personality’. Like most of the people presenting daytime TV and quizzes on ITV. Or judging The Masked Singer, for example. No intelligence or nuance, dumbed down.

If Radio 2 are having a clear out I wish they would bin Zoe Ball (unlistenable) and Rylan (dim and irritating).

Yeah, where do the BBC expect the over 50s to move on to? We have R2 for when people graduate from R1, but nowhere for R2 graduates to go to within the BBC. Odd.

Maybe the over 50s are supposed to turn off the radio and watch daytime tv instead. Or maybe they are relying on the fact that the ‘oldies’ will stay through loyalty, lack of imagination or to avoid adverts elsewhere.

Radio 4.

Because you grow out of music at 50 apparently.

Posted too soon.

Whatever the thinking behind it, it feels like a large group of listeners are being sidelined. It seems ridiculous but I really think they may believe the older listeners will stay anyway. 😞

I do like the R2 Saturday morning set up starting with Dermot then Claudia then Paul G. I love Tony Blackburns music on the 7am show but his voice is like nails down a blackboard to me!

Oh blast! On career break till May but I always have radio 2 on for background when WFH. I can't stand Jeremy Vine so was already having to put music on then and bitching at Steve Wright talking over everything. Plus Sara Cox over cosy twee. I cannot bear ads on the radio, think might be from years of being forced to have Classic FM on working as a secretary. I'm 50 this year, if they don't replace with someone decent I'll have to draw up a daily schedule of different radio stations.

I love Rylan but really don't think he'd commit to 5 days a week, he's got too much else going on. He said in his book as well that the Saturday slot was just right and they let him play more or less what he wants and loves. I reckon they'd be stricter on Ken' slot

But they can't actually think that, really?

Well I'm over 50 and I like the mix of old(ish) and new music. Heaven forbid that R2 had stayed the same as in the 80s when it used to play stuff like Matt Monro and Andy Williams all the time. Even Popmaster has very few 50s questions anymore because very few people would be able to answer them!

Anyone know what Mark Goodier is doing now he’s being replaced? Had he decided to leave, and they approached Ken? Or did Ken approach Greatest Hits and they shafted Mark?

@blobby10 I like Dermot and Claudia as well. It took me a while to get used to Claudia on a Saturday morning, but I think her show has bedded in now.

@Sweetpeasaremadeforbees Although thinking about it, 50s music is only thirty years earlier than the 80s, so it would be like playing 90s music today. Fortunately they play older music than that as well, 60s and 70s, as well as stuff more recent.

Although 50s music did sound a lot different to 80s, compared to 90s and today.

I like Ken as a presenter but really don't enjoy his music.
Please NOT Rylan! Also find Gary Davies a bit cringe. I prefer Scott mills to Steve.

My favourite R2 show is Jo Whiley, such a great eclectic mix of music. I also quite like Zoe B and Sara Cox. Liza Tarbuck is ace, love her.
But weekend daytimes, except for Claudia I tend to switch to radio 6 - love Guy Garvey.

Is MG leaving GHR?! I've missed that :( love his show

@IntentionalError

No, he was a local radio presenter until he took over the traffic presenter/ sidekick role on Ken’s show from Lynne Bowles a few years ago.

He didn't take over from LB. She left in 2018 and Richie appeared in 2019.

This is the first time I've realised the Richie Anderson bloke who sometimes appears on telly is Ken's traffic man!! I only get to hear bits and pieces of the radio when I go in to the works kitchen, and have heard him, and never realised that's who it was.

Anyway, so sad that he's leaving. He's the only one who ever plays the magical and perfect Al Stewart. And I never did achieve my ambition of getting on Popmaster. The reason I never actually applied being that I wouldn't know what to say when he asks about family at home and the shout outs at the end without it becoming an issue, as I couldn't really miss out mentioning my husband, nor say on live radio that I wish he would leave me. But that's a different story!

OJ Borg would be great, I think. He has quite a calm presenting style, which would be a good transition from Ken. Unfortunately I cannot listen to Zoe Ball, Jeremy Vine, Scott Mills or Sara Cox, all who I find infuriating..... so I will move to GHR with Ken. I still miss Terry.

There was a short period where Rachel Horne did the traffic after Lynne left, then she went to Virgin with Chris Evans.

Saturday Live is great on Sat mornings on R4 and also Dermot

Lets hope its not someone too shouty and full of themselves , I was a fan of Gary Davies until he talked all over the best intro ever of a Communards you are my world intro the other day