Vernon Kay reveals whether he’s spoken to Ken Bruce ahead of first show as his successor on BBC Radio 2
AS trolling goes, it doesn’t really get much better.
After landing the biggest job in radio, Vernon Kay — who turns 50 next April — was met by a barrage of online abuse over claims he is “too young” for Radio 2.
Ahead of his first day in the new job, taking over from broadcasting stalwart Ken Bruce, the star hits back in the BBC ageism row.
He says: “The reaction [to the announcement] was interesting because the first thing you do in this day and age is look at social media, which is a mistake, obviously.
“Apart from obvious fans of Ken — which is pretty much everyone — it’s largely been pretty positive, though.
“But I also had the best trolling I’ve ever had: ‘It’s a disgrace that young Vernon Kay is taking over!’.
“Young? I’m 50 next year! I will file all of these insults.
“But it goes to show how much it means to people — you’re a part of everyday life for a broad section of our communities.
“Ken was thirty-something when he took over, so all those people who are upset probably joined Radio 2 when he did, at the back end of 30.
“The demographic at Radio 2 is so huge.
“My dad is a lorry driver, my mum worked in a department store, my brother is a primary school teacher, my mates are gasmen, plumbers, teachers, and one works in a brewery, so hopefully I’ve got a lot of experience to cover a lot of social demographics.”
Vernon adds: “Radio is so intimate.
“It’s all about building a relationship with the listener. And that’s the beauty of it.”
Today, from 9.30am, the eminently likeable presenter takes over Ken’s old studio, heralding a new era at Radio 2.
Scotsman Ken, 72, had been at the helm for more than three decades, and left earlier this year for commercial rival Greatest Hits Radio.
While Radio 2 has been criticised for replacing older DJs with a raft of “younger” talent — after Vernon, the next youngest is 49-year-old whippersnapper Scott Mills — it remains the most listened-to channel in Europe.
And as shrewd Ken owned the rights to fan favourite quiz Pop- Master, Vernon has a few tricks up his own, young pretender sleeve.
Vernon’s Vault is a new segment featuring long-forgotten performances from the BBC’s archives, and early show guests include Noel Gallagher, Def Leppard and Suggs from Madness.
Not so much as a whiff of Rita Ora, then.
His first song is a melodic classic — “I think they might kill me if I tell you in advance” [he does, later, when the tape recorder isn’t running, and it’s good], and the second is a “big, friendly disco tune”.
So, after Ken made a few digs at his former employers, have the pair spoken since Vern got the top job?
“I’ve not got his number so no, I haven’t spoken to him since it was announced,” he says, chatting over a less than rock ’n’ roll glass of tap water at Radio 2 HQ Wogan House.
“I didn’t know him that well, although he did come and watch me in pantomime once.
“I’d love to speak to him though, and raise a glass.
“I’m sure we will at some stage.”
Vernon’s long showbiz CV includes T4, All Star Family Fortunes, Splash!, and regular guest-presenting slots on The One Show.
And in 2020 the former model finished third on I’m A Celeb.
The Bolton-born entertainer — seen as a natural successor to Bruce Forsyth — landed the short straw by appearing in the Covid-struck edition of the series: i.e., a castle in north Wales, not sunny Australia.
The show did, though, win him a whole legion of new fans.
On the subject of late showbiz legend Forsyth, who died in 2017, Vernon is married to his old Strictly Come Dancing co-star, Tess Daly.
In September they will have been married 20 years and are planning a giant knees-up to celebrate.
So would Vernon like to emulate Bruce’s amazing career?
He snorts: “Oh gosh, come on — he was the hardest-working man in showbusiness.
“And I would, for a period of time before I make that journey upstairs, like to sit on a beach.
“Strictly was his life force.
“Tess and I were fortunate enough to spend time with him and his family, and he was so generous in his advice and time.
“He played golf right up until the very end and had a handicap of about 20.
“Ant [McPartlin] once phoned and asked if I could arrange a four-ball with him and Dec, and me and Bruce.
“We played at his club, Wentworth, and Bruce hit every fairway — he put the three of us to shame.
“We got a story every three or four holes, and the boys were like kids — they were just so excited.
“We went to his home afterwards and had spring rolls.”
Today, Vernon and Tess, 54 — who continues to host Strictly alongside pal Claudia Winkleman — are a showbusiness power couple.
Cringing, because he knows precisely where I’m headed with this tabloidy question, I ask how the pair keep their romance alive.
Inexplicably, I ask if he’s ever felt the need for Viagra.
“Have I ever taken Viagra? No! That’s the last pill I need to be taking!
“But it is a thing — erectile dysfunction affects half of men over 40. But not this one.”
Onwards and upwards. So to speak.
The dad of two brings up Robbie Williams’ recent interview with The Sun, in which he admitted he and wife Ayda now barely have sex.
Vernon adds: “I love the fact that Robbie talked about the intimacy side of marriage being more important than the sex side, because I think sometimes communication can be more intimate.
“Physical is physical but when you’re chatting and being open and honest, and you’re intimate in that way, that’s a bigger connection, isn’t it?
“When you’re 93 you’re probably not going to be shagging from the rafters . . . maybe I’ll try the Viagra by then!
“Intimacy is not just being in bed and making love. Intimacy stretches to all aspects of life.
“The best thing you can do is just talk to each other — put the kettle on and chat.
“Sometimes you have to bite your tongue, but you’ve also got to come out with stuff that’s bothering you because when you don’t, that’s when it festers and grows, and things become more difficult.
“Communication is key.
“My dad always taught me never to go to bed on an argument, and my parents both said, ‘Put the kettle on, have a brew, and sit and talk’.
“That’s your couples’ therapy right there — and it’s free.”
While Vernon has never tried therapy — “I try not to embrace negativity because then you are carrying a weight which could affect your mental health” — he is keen to explore it, going forwards.
Not least to see if he has ADHD, which — “like everyone when you look at the signs” — he believes he might have.
He adds: “I think everyone should try therapy.
“I would like to have someone sit with me and get inside my head, and find out whether I am OCD or ADHD, or whatever.
“Having said that, me saying I turn the Heinz mayo and salad cream and ketchup around in the fridge, or line up all my glasses to sit on the corner of the kitchen table, isn’t helpful necessarily.
“I don’t want to say I’m ADHD and sound like I’m jumping on a bandwagon.
“Because there are people who really do suffer from that, and I think if you treat these issues flippantly, it has a reverse effect of talking about it openly and honestly. It’s disrespectful.”
But there is one aspect of the star’s life that is keeping him up at night — ageing.
With endearing honesty, Vernon — who co-hosted last week’s Loose Men panel on ITV — admits he worries about getting older and no longer being fancied by stunning wife Tess.
“I think sex is still important in a marriage though,” he says, “because your bodies are both different, and love is evolving constantly.
“Travelling through life together starts when you get married, but your bodies change, and my body — I know for a fact — doesn’t look like it did when we first met when I was 22.
“I worry about it.
“And I think hiding behind a ‘dad bod’ is a sad excuse.
“I don’t think men should be using it as an excuse not to look after themselves — you should look after yourself if you’re able to and you can.
“I always want to be in peak shape physically.
“I have age anxiety — I worry about getting old, about my knees going.
“I am going grey — my dad had a full head of white hair at 37 — and I’m clinging on, but there’s a lot in there.
“Turning around and seeing it in the shower tray is hard.
“It’s thinning out at the front.
“And I have sciatica, which can be so painful.
“I still like the stuff now that I liked as a teenager — dance music and rock ’n’ roll, a beer and the occasional blow-out — but I’ve never tried Botox.
“I don’t smoke and I don’t drink heavily, regularly.
“So you sort of feel the same, but you’re not the same, really.
“It’s hard.”
- Vernon Kay is on weekdays, 9.30-12pm on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sound