The BBC has officially announced that Vernon Kay will be taking over for Ken Bruce on Radio 2 at midday during the weekdays. After the Scottish broadcasting veteran’s announcement last month that he would be leaving Radio 2 after 31 years, the 48-year-old TV personality will take over in May.
On March 3rd, Bruce will broadcast his last programme from 9.30am to noon. Kay is best known for hosting All Star Family Fortunes, Just The Two Of Us, and Beat The Star on Channel 4’s T4 and ITV, and she is married to Strictly Come Dancing host Tess Daly.
Before that, though, he presented a number of shows on BBC radio, including his own Radio 1 programme from 2004 to 2012. Also, he is a regular on Radio 2, stepping in for hosts such as Zoe Ball, Steve Wright, Rylan Clark, and Dermot O’Leary. From 2015 and 2017, Kay was also the host of Radio X.
Vernon Kay
He expressed his gratitude for the opportunity, saying, “What an honour it is to follow in the footsteps of the legendary Ken Bruce by being given the microphone to deliver the mid-morning programme on Radio 2. It’s been a pleasure getting to know the Radio 2 audience over the past 18 months, and I’m looking forward to spending more time with them as we enjoy some of the world’s finest music. Joining the staff at Radio 2 is like a dream come true, and I can’t wait to get started.
Vernon Kay Praises
Radio 2 controller Helen Thomas praised Kay, calling her a “hugely brilliant, friendly and amusing DJ” and a “solid favourite” among listeners thanks to her stints standing in for other shows. Yet, Radio 2’s latest attempt to revitalise its lineup has been met with significant criticism. Paul O’Grady, Vanessa Feltz, Craig Charles, and Simon Mayo are just a few of the longtime DJs who have either resigned or announced their resignation from their respective radio stations in recent months. Listeners have complained that their replacements are too young, citing the youth of Rylan Clark and Michelle Visage as examples.
Even though Steve Wright has been replaced by former Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills and has departed his weekday afternoon programme, he continues to broadcast Sunday Love Songs and occasional specials. I was aware of women over the age of 60 suddenly biting the dust,” Feltz told the Guardian in December, reflecting on her own departure. To be honest, I really doubt that I would have been spared.
Correct broadcasting embellishments appear to be culled and discarded with a careless air. Seems like the presenters are treating the audience with the same lack of care and disinterest as they are. We don’t want you, and we don’t need you. You are too middle-aged, middle-class, conventional, and/or elderly.
