Ken Bruce admits he felt like an afterthought at BBC Radio 2 and wanted to make bosses 'appreciate' him.
The Glasgow-born broadcaster announced he would be leaving the BBC after 31 years in January, and started his new job at Greatest Hits Radio this week. The former Radio 2 presenter, 72, spoke about his motivations and reasoning behind his move and admitted he wanted to prove his worth.
Speaking to Radio Times, Ken said: "I probably wanted to prove a few things to myself, and maybe to some other people, about my worth on Radio 2. There were times when I felt I wasn’t really noticed by either the BBC itself or some listeners."
He added: "So I thought, 'I’m going to make these people appreciate me.'
"And having done that to my satisfaction, I felt it was time to give myself a little challenge, try something different, rather than become stale and wait for the axe."
Explaining why he felt unappreciated, Ken said: "Well, this is going back a few years, but there were times when all the publicity was about other presenters, people who were off the telly, and I wasn’t mentioned at all. I was just an afterthought.
"And I thought, 'Well, I just want to make these people realise that I’m doing quite a good job.' There was a certain amount of, 'Oi, I’m over here!'"
In a statement announcing his exit from BBC Radio 2 in January, Ken declared it was "time for a change." He wrote: "After 45 years of broadcasting on BBC Radio it's time for a change. I would stress that this is entirely my decision. I will always be very proud of my association with the BBC and Radio 2."
Gary Davies, 65, is temporarily replacing Ken as the host of BBC Radio 2's mid-morning show until Vernon Kay takes over the baton in May. Ken Bruce on Greatest Hits Radio airs weekdays from 10am to 1pm.
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