BBC Radio 2 listeners were 'bawling' as presenter Ken Bruce signed off from his show for the last time, after more than 40 years at the organisation.
The 72-year-old Scottish presenter has regularly presented his mid-morning programme from 9.30am to midday. Taking to the BBC airwaves for the final time, he thanked his listeners, the production team at Radio 2 and the BBC after his 30-year show came to an end.
He said the BBC is “still the finest broadcasting corporation in the world” aside from the occasional “vagary” and also thanked members of the Ken Bruce Preservation Society who gave him a bottle of Irish cream liquor. Bruce then played a medley of Golden Slumbers, Carry That Weight and The End that closes the Abbey Road album by The Beatles as his career at the BBC came to an end.
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Fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts around the emotional moment. @withalittleluck said: "Having a bit of a cry at Ken Bruce playing The Beatles’ Golden Slumbers, Carry that Weight, The End, at the end of his last programme for BBC 2. Pass the tissues please" while @eli3abethan simply tweeted: "Bawling #KenBruce" with three crying face emojis.
@alexjrassic added: "Bloody hell, I didn't expect to have a little midday cry over this, but here I am. Thank you, Ken Bruce" and @cazbolton said: "#KenBruce what a class act @RealKenBruce is. Last #BBCRadio2 song was The Beatles - Carry That Weight. Thank you x".
And @BeatsDen tweeted: "Thanks Ken for all the wonderful music, for Pop Master and for your gentle humour. Perfect song to finish with. Will look forward to listening in “somewhere” in a few weeks. Enjoy your break"
Ken told listeners during his final link: "We talk to each other on a daily basis and I hope maybe sometime in the future we may be able to continue doing that." He added: "Thanks to all who have sent a message of congratulations and good riddance."
He went on to thank his BBC colleagues, adding: "I'd just like to say thank you to Phil McGarvey and Janine Maya-Smith, they are two - the only two in the production team, what a fabulous pair they have been. And to the BBC, I've been here a long time apart from the occasional vagary, but it's still the finest broadcasting organisation in the world. I thought about a song to finish and I thought one that comes to an end might be the end."
Singing off he added: "And in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make - and I have loved being here with you."
The radio DJ previously revealed on Twitter he was a “little surprised and disappointed” that his final show was brought forward to Friday by the BBC. On Friday, Bruce told Radio 4’s Today programme: “It’s entirely within the BBC’s right to ask me to step away a little early. But for the sake of 17 days, which was all that was remaining (on my contract), it seems a shame.”
Bruce first joined the corporation in 1977 in his 30s as a BBC Radio Scotland presenter, going on to present several different programmes. His first regular slot on Radio 2 was the Saturday Late Show in 1984, and the following year he fronted the Radio 2 Breakfast Show, taking over from Sir Terry Wogan.
Bruce later moved to mid-mornings in 1986 and after a brief stint on late nights and early mornings, returned to mid-mornings in January 1992. The presenter will be moving to Bauer’s Greatest Hits Radio in April to present a new mid-morning show from 10am to 1pm.
Bruce also told Radio 2 he understood “gardening leave is a known concept” but he believes when “given a contract”, you work to finish it. He added: “Over the last 46 years, I haven’t had very much time off, I’ve attempted to turn up whenever I’m required to turn up.
"So my natural feeling as a broadcaster is if I’ve got 17 days to do, I want to do them.”
He earlier told the Daily Mail newspaper that he “wasn’t given any real reason that I understood” by the BBC for the decision to move his final programme. In response to his comments, a Radio 2 spokesperson previously said: “Ken decided to leave Radio 2 and it’s always been known he’s leaving in March.
“Returning to Wogan House for a week after a month of broadcasting the Piano Room sessions at Maida Vale provided a natural break. We wish Ken all the best for the future.”
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