Ken Bruce 'surprised and disappointed' to leave BBC Radio 2 'earlier than planned'

Ken Bruce has said he is “a little surprised and disappointed” that his final BBC Radio 2 show will be as early as next week.

Vernon Kay will take over in May following the announcement last month that Scottish broadcasting veteran Bruce would be stepping down from presenting his mid-morning show on Radio 2 after 31 years.

The BBC confirmed that Bruce will present his final 9.30am to midday show on March 3.

Gary Davies, host of the station’s Sounds Of The 80s show, will host the show from March 6 until Kay takes over.

On Friday, Bruce said he had intended to fulfil his contract at Radio 2 which was due to run out at the end of March, but that the BBC had “decided it wants me to leave earlier”.

“I will be presenting my last show on Radio 2 next Friday,” he tweeted.

“I had intended fulfilling my contract until the end of March but the BBC has decided it wants me to leave earlier. Let’s enjoy the week ahead!”

Bruce also told the Daily Mail newspaper: “I was called in at 12.30 and told that my final show would be a week today and wasn’t given any real reason that I understood.

“I’m a little surprised and disappointed.”

Bruce announced he was leaving the BBC in January before confirming he would be moving to Bauer’s Greatest Hits Radio in April to present a new mid-morning show from 10am to 1pm.

The radio DJ, who started at the BBC in his early 30s, said he would “always be proud” of his association with the BBC and Radio 2, but that he wanted to continue his career “in a slightly different way in the next few years”.

Bruce first joined the corporation in 1977 as a BBC Radio Scotland presenter and his first regular slot on Radio 2 was the Saturday Late Show in 1984. The following year he fronted the Radio 2 Breakfast Show, taking over from Sir Terry Wogan.

He 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.

Bruce has also presented Radio 2’s coverage of Eurovision since 1988, and has been a regular presenter of Sunday Night Is Music Night.