Axed BBC legend slams Radio 2 over Ken Bruce’s exit
AXED BBC Radio 2 legend Simon Mayo has slammed the corporation over Ken Bruce’s exit.
The popular broadcaster will join his former colleague on Greatest Hits Radio in April.
But former Beeb DJ Simon, 64 has slammed his former station over the way his former colleague was booted early from his contact.
Sitting down on Roger Bolton’s Beeb Watch podcast, he explained: “The situation has been handled badly.
“I think what’s surprising is that it (the situation with Ken Bruce still on Radio 2) lingered as long as it did.
“If you’re on social media, the Greatest Hit Radio Twitter icon is Ken Bruce.
“Ken is an advert for Greatest Hit radio now so I can understand why they might have thought we need to hasten these things.
“It’s unfortunate because it does feel messy and that is unfortunate.
“I can imagine in commercial radio he might have been out the door sooner.”
Back in January, Radio 2 legend Ken Bruce announced he was to quit the station after 31 years on air.
The much-loved Scotsman, 71, whose PopMaster quiz is a show staple, is swapping the Beeb for Greatest Hits Radio in a shock move.
However, despite meaning to leave his show at the end of March, he announced he would be departing early as the BBC said they wanted him off air a month earlier.
The departure follows the exit of another long-running station icon: Steve Wright.
Other huge names including Paul O’Grady, 67 and talkTV star Vanessa Feltz, 60, also left the station following the controversial shake-ups.
Simon Mayo quit BBC Radio 2 in October 2018, five months after he was “forced” to work with Jo Wiley on his popular drive time show.
The veteran host tweeted he will stay with 5Live and labelled criticism by social media users of his “warm-hearted and loyal friend” Jo “appalling”.
But fans have slammed to decision to change the format of Mayo’s hugely popular show, with many insisting “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.
The Sun previously reported Simon, 60, was in talks with Beeb bosses to quit because he had been lumbered with Jo.