Ken Bruce has shared his thoughts on why Radio 2’s mid-morning audience has dipped since Vernon Kay took over the helm, and why he doesn’t tune in to the show he fronted for more than three decades.
The broadcaster, 72, signed off from Radio 2 in early 2023 before moving to commercial network Greatest Hits Radio, where his mid-morning programme and long-running PopMaster quiz have since become the station’s flagship draws.
Kay now hosts the 9.30am–12pm slot, but RAJAR figures have shown a drop in listeners from around 8.1 million to 6.6 million since Bruce’s departure.
Speaking to Saga magazine, Bruce said he is regularly asked whether he listens to his successor, but explained he prefers to focus on his new station.
“I’m always asked if I listen to Vernon Kay… and I always say no,” he said. “It’s not because I’m boycotting the BBC – I still listen to Radio 3 and archive shows on 4 Extra – but because I’m part of a new family now, Bauer Radio. I want to know what our guys are up to.”
He acknowledged that some listeners have followed him to Greatest Hits Radio. “Am I aware that audience figures for the Radio 2 show have fallen since I left? Yes. Did some follow me over…? Yes,” he said. “You won’t hear me gloating or badmouthing the BBC, though. My new show’s doing well – apparently the audience has doubled since I joined – and that’s all that matters.”
Bruce, who was awarded an MBE for services to radio, reiterated that leaving the BBC after 46 years was his own decision. He said he had started to feel “grumpy” and restless after decades in the same routine, prompting him to seek a change.
“I was 71, I’d done the same job for a long time and I started to think, ‘Is that it?’ So I decided it was time to shake things up… New place and new people, full of enthusiasm for the show. Retirement any time soon? Not a chance.”
The presenter also joked about one of his savvier business decisions: securing ownership of the PopMaster format, which he was able to take with him to Greatest Hits Radio and will continue hosting next year as part of a Saga cruise to the Canary Islands.
Greatest Hits Radio has steadily grown its audience in recent years, bolstered by several high-profile former Radio 2 names. The station’s UK weekly reach rose 13% to 7.54 million last year, according to RAJAR.
