Vernon Kay's BBC Radio 2 mid-morning show has lost 1.3 million listeners since he replaced veteran presenter Ken Bruce, according to the latest Rajar figures. The programme now attracts 6.9 million listeners, down from 8.2 million when Bruce was at the helm. Bruce, 72, left Radio 2 in March after 31 years and joined Greatest Hits Radio (GHR) the following month.
The quarterly data for June to September 2023 shows that Bruce's new show on GHR has gained 800,000 listeners, reaching 3.7 million. His arrival has boosted the entire station, which now has 6.5 million weekly listeners, up from 3.7 million last year. Bruce said he was 'delighted' to have helped GHR achieve its biggest audience yet.
Despite the drop, Kay's show remains the UK's most popular radio programme, and Radio 2 continues to be the most listened-to station in the country, with 13.5 million weekly listeners, though that is down 1 million from the same period in 2022. BBC executives expressed support for Kay, with chief content officer Charlotte Moore praising his 'warmth, energy and charisma'.
Bruce had previously told the Radio Times that he felt taken for granted by Radio 2 and struggled to be enthusiastic about new music. He also expressed annoyance that the station asked him to finish three weeks before his contract ended, suggesting it was to create space between his departure and Kay's start.
