Ken Bruce has opened up about the moment he realised it was time to leave BBC Radio 2, admitting he didn't want to become "the old bloke in the corner being made fun of". The radio presenter stepped down from the broadcaster in 2023 after 46 years, having fronted his weekday mid-morning show for 31 years.
A candid admission on Good Morning Britain
Speaking to Richard Madeley and Kate Garraway on Good Morning Britain, the 75-year-old was asked how the BBC allowed him, one of their star presenters delivering huge audiences, to slip through their fingers. He replied: "Well, it was time for me to go. In my mind, for me, it was time for me to go. It'd been a long time there, 46 years, which were fantastic. But, I thought I still got something else I want to do."
Ken, who has since joined Greatest Hits Radio, told the presenters he didn't leave for attention or to have a dramatic impact, but simply because he wanted a change and knew he had time to do one more different thing in his career.
Feeling like a veteran overnight
When Kate asked whether he felt Radio 2 had changed, he confessed that stations all change over the years. He shared: "I felt, maybe I was getting slightly towards the precipice. I wasn't at the right part of it. I'd always been the 'youngster', you know, playing against Jimmy Young and Terry Wogan. Suddenly, I became a veteran overnight! I thought, well, I'm not too sure I want to be the old bloke in the corner being made fun of, so I thought, 'time to go'."
Ken also reflected on his listeners following him to Greatest Hits Radio, saying he was pleased that a certain number of them made the move with him.
Protecting the PopMaster name
In a previous interview with The i Newspaper, Ken revealed how he secured the rights to PopMaster, the popular quiz segment. He said: "I asked somebody within the BBC if they wished to come in and protect [the PopMaster name]. They said, 'Nah, you're alright, I don't think we want to get involved in doing that'. So I went to the trademark office and trademarked it. 'I've still got the patent. I kept renewing it, and I'm delighted that we're able to keep using it in this way. There wasn't any massive legal battle."
Good Morning Britain airs on ITV weekdays from 6am.
