The final Ken Bruce show on BBC Radio 2 was an expected low-key affair with business as usual during his last two and a half hours at the station.
Ken opened the show by saying there are no hidden agendas to the songs being played today, just lots of lovely music. “Don’t go looking for any secret messages,” he said.
It was a standard final Tracks of my Years and PopMaster, with contestants wishing Ken well for the future.
Just a few farewell messages made it to air including from impressionist Rob Brydon, and a final two-way with Jeremy Vine at 11.30am.
Jeremy managed to sneak in a clip from Ken on Radio 2 recorded 40 years ago.
In his last link on Radio 2, Bruce has thanked everyone who has played their part in the show over the years, including listeners. Phil McGarvey and Janine Maya-Smith, his production team, got special mentions too.
He says members of the ‘Ken Bruce appreciation, nay, preservation society’ have sent him a bottle of a certain Irish cream liqueur.
Ken’s last song was Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight / The End by The Beatles, to which flowed into his last link before the news intro, saying “And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make, and I’ve loved being here with you, thank you so much, and may we meet again, somewhere.”
Ken starts on Greatest Hits Radio on April 3rd.
BBC Radio 2’s mid-morning show will be hosted by Vernon Kay from May, with Gary Davies presenting the bit in the middle.
This story first appeared on radiotoday.co.uk