BBC ‘flipped the chance to keep Ken Bruce’ because he felt ‘unloved’ by bosses
- Ken Bruce felt ‘unloved’ by BBC bosses over his new contract, insiders claim
- The unexpected departure of the 71-year-old is said to have sparked controversy at the BBC
Ken Bruce quit Radio 2 because he felt ‘unliked’ by bosses – who couldn’t reassure him about a new contract, even if they wanted to keep him, for example BBC insiders.
A source claimed that despite a desire to stick with the DJ – Britain’s most popular radio presenter – a ‘mix-up’ meant he was told nothing. This would have helped him join commercial rival Greatest Hits Radio.
The unexpected announcement of the 71-year-old presenter’s departure would now have sparked controversy at the BBC, as many see it as completely avoidable.
A well-placed source said: ‘They definitely wanted to renew his contract, but due to a mix-up, nobody told him. He’s a proud man and didn’t want to ask. When he told them he was leaving, they all said, “but we were about to offer you a three-year contract”… Bit late.
Ken Bruce quit Radio 2 because he felt ‘unloved’ by bosses, according to insiders
But another source close to the station disputed the contract claims, saying: ‘Ken was reassured on more than one occasion that his future on Radio 2 was secure.’
The Scottish star is said to have been upset by the company’s discontinuation of presenter Steve Wright’s long-running show last year to appeal to younger listeners.
Bruce also allegedly asked bosses to stop letting him play ‘tuneless dance music’, but received no good response to his pleas.
The Radio 2 insider told the Mail: ‘Ken felt unloved. Part of the problem was that our target audience is “easy-going moms” who are never told who they are or what they want! We started playing a lot of tuneless dance music and Ken had begged them not to let him play again, but apparently his emails never got any replies.’
The source, who accused bosses of “sleeping behind the wheel,” added: “[Wright’s departure] just focused on his mind. When they fired Steve, they hadn’t considered the effect this could have on the rest of the presenters.’
Bruce has been with the BBC for 45 years – 31 of them presenting his Radio 2 mid-morning programme. But loyal listeners are increasingly fed up with what they see as a shift to a younger audience.
The Scottish star is said to have been upset by the way the company axed presenter Steve Wright’s long-running show last year.
Other hosts who have departed include Paul O’Grady, 67, and Vanessa Feltz, 60. Among the names touted to replace Bruce are Rylan Clark, 34, DJ Spoony, 52, Dermot O’Leary, 49, and 43- year old PB Borg.
Another source said that since Bruce has the largest program on British radio – with more than 8.5 million listeners a week – the company should have moved heaven and earth to keep him.
A spokesman for Radio 2 said: ‘It was Ken’s decision to leave Radio 2 – we respect his decision and wish him all the best for the future as he has been a much loved part of the Radio 2 family.’