Ken Bruce says BBC no longer a 'great organisation' as he speaks out on exit
Ken Bruce left Radio 2 after hosting for 31 years
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Legendary DJ Ken Bruce criticised deterioration of the BBC as he admitted his early exit from Radio 2 was “disappointing”.
The 72-year-old DJ hosted his final show on March 3, instead of at the end of the month when his contract was due to end.
Bruce 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 radio DJ said he was disappointed Radio 2 bosses didn't trust him to exit on his own terms
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Taking a pointed dig at the senior management of the broadcaster in an interview with The Times, Bruce indicated the BBC is no longer a "great organisation".
He said: "I’m not going to get involved in what the current management situation is, but it could be, it should be a great organisation and can be again, I’m sure."
He also admitted that he wanted his exit to be on his own terms when he discovered he was being taken off air early.
In an interview ahead of the launch of his new show on Greatest Hits Radio, Ken explained how he chose to leave Radio 2 when, months away from the end of his two-year contract, he’d not been approached about renewing it.
“I wanted it to be my decision” he explained to the Mail Online.
"There was no pressure and I’ve been more appreciated in the last 10 years at the BBC than I was in the first 25. But I decided to go.
“I think I did surprise them, but the fact was I hadn’t been offered any continuation at that point. They then said, ‘Well, we were going to offer you another three years.”
But by that point, Ken said he’d already signed a deal with Greatest Hits Radio and “didn’t want to get into a bidding war”.
When Ken’s exit from Radio 2 was initially announced, the BBC said he would host his show until the end of March.
But this was cut short, and Ken made it clear at the time, this was not his decision.
“That was disappointing” he said.
“I thought come on, you can trust me. I’m not going to do a Dave Lee Travis and start badmouthing everybody, because I had a lovely time at the BBC. So it was all a bit unnecessary".
Vernon Kay will replace Ken Bruce on his mid-morning weekday slot on BBC Radio 2
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Prior to his departure, Bruce said he would “always be proud” of his association with the BBC and Radio 2, but wanted to continue his career “in a slightly different way in the next few years”.
Addressing his show being brought to an end early, he previously claimed he “wasn’t given any real reason that he understood” for the change.
Vernon Kay has since been revealed as Ken’s replacement, but his start date has yet to be announced.
Gary Davies, host of Radio 2’s Sounds Of The 80s, will present the mid-morning show until Vernon takes over.