Vanessa Feltz has hit out at BBC bosses over radio broadcaster Ken Bruce's early Radio 2 exit.
Veteran broadcaster Ken, 72, vacated his show earlier this month, after more than 40 years with the BBC, claiming it was making him leave three weeks prematurely.
Ken called the decision to cut short his final weeks by the BBC 'a shame' as he hosted his final show on 3 March, with his former Radio 2 colleague Vanessa now hitting out at BBC bosses.
Vanessa, 60, called BBC bosses 'disrespectful' and 'discourteous' over their decision to pull the show from under Ken prematurely after his dedication to his radio hosting duties for over four decades.
“After this incredibly long and amazingly distinguished career, to oust Ken Bruce two or three weeks before he was expecting to go and before his contract had actually played itself out, I thought that was incredibly discourteous and disrespectful and unnecessary," Vanessa fumed.
“What was the point of it? Why would you do that? Why would you leave yourselves open to criticism? Bad manners, lack of gratitude, lack of respect. It was an absolutely extraordinary decision and I think Ken must have been upset by it because he wouldn’t have mentioned it. I think it must have hurt his feelings terribly," she told Daily Express.
She continued: "Why on earth would you want to hurt the feelings of a person who consistently over a period of 30-odd years has delivered more listeners than any other broadcaster in the entire country."
It comes after Ken said his early exit from Radio 2 'seems a shame' after spending more than 40 years working at the BBC.
He admitted he was 'a little surprised and disappointed' to discover he was being taken off the air early.
In an interview with Radio 4’s Today programme, Ken said: “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.”
The veteran broadcaster continued: “My belief is that, when I’m given a contract, I work to it and complete it. 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 I’ve got 17 days to do, I want to do them.”
Ken announced he would be leaving Radio 2 in January, becoming the latest big name star to part ways with the station.
He follows in the footsteps of Paul O’Grady, Graham Norton, Chris Evans, Craig Charles and Vanessa Feltz in what has been described as a ‘legends exodus’.
The DJ is not retiring though – he is moving to rival station Greatest Hits Radio to present a new mid-morning show from 10am to 1pm.
