John Humphrys pays touching tribute to listeners as he bows out of Today programme after three decades

John Humphrys today bowed out of presenting the Today programme after 32 years, thanking his listeners who “gave him a pat on the back and often a kick up the backside”.

The 76-year-old broadcaster, who has a reputation as a fearsome interviewer, presented his final show on Thursday after announcing in February that he planned to quit the current affairs show.

In his final minute of the BBC Radio 4 show, Humphrys gave a heartfelt thanks to his listeners, who he said he got to know over the decades and hailed them as “decent people”.

After thanking his co-workers, Humphrys said: “Finally, and far more important than anything else, my thanks is to you – to the vast numbers who have written in over the years, sometimes to give me a pat on the back, often to give me a kick up the backside for getting it wrong or for being out of touch."

He added: “I am amazed at the loyalty you have shown this programme, you really are the backbone of our country, you care about our democracy. It’s an old fashioned thing to say but I do feel I have got to know you over the decades and you are decent people.

“I’m more proud than I can say that you have put up with me for so long, thank you, all of you. I do hope you keep listening, Today matters for tomorrow.”

The broadcaster, who has no intention of retiring and will continue to host BBC Two quiz show Mastermind, also paid tribute to the BBC “for tolerating me for so long”.

He said: “There’s a lot wrong with it as an organisation, there’s a lot wrong with every organisation, and it’s facing a lot of challenges from social media and changing behaviours.

“But I believe we need the BBC as much now as we ever have done, I simply can’t imagine this country without it - it is an unthinkable thought.”

Humphrys, who had former prime ministers David Cameron and Tony Blair on his final show, also thanked interviewees who agreed to take part.

He added that this included "the politicians, or at least those of them, the vast majority, who still recognise it is important that people in power should be held to account, even if just occasionally we might give them a hard time".

Dame Edna Everage helped send off Humphrys on his final day presenting the programme.

The flagship BBC Radio 4 show lined up final interviews for Humphrys with former prime ministers David Cameron and Tony Blair.

But the broadcaster quipped "they've been just a little overshadowed" by Dame Edna, the alter-ego of Barry Humphries.

Humphrys asked whether Dame Edna had "any words of guidance for somebody like me, who is retiring from a job after a very long time doing it".

Dame Edna replied with a rhyme, saying: "How I loved to hear you sing when you and I had that tempestuous fling.

"But I've always been discreet about our lives and I've never breathed a word to your ex-wives.

"The Queen told me, before you grow much older, her sword will descend upon the Humphrys shoulder.

"Her voice is quiet, it doesn't really carry. She might have said 'John' but she probably meant 'Barry'.

"You won't grow old, you'll just get nicely mellow. So hug your trees, play Elgar on your cello."

Humphrys responded: "You can't follow that, really."

Humphrys joined Today in January 1987, alongside Brian Redhead, but continued to work on other BBC news programmes.

Announcing plans to quit the show in February, he said: “I should have gone years ago, obviously I should have gone years ago, but I love doing the programme.

"When you do this programme it dominates your life, not just because you have to get up in the morning so many days a week, but all the time, you have to be obsessed - I think that is the right word - with what's going on out there."

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John Humphrys to end his tenure as longest serving Today host

He has sparked controversy with his interviews over the years and co-host Justin Webb recently said many of Humphrys's most vociferous critics are ageist.

"There are plenty who don't like him, who think he's gone on too long, who want him 'pensioned off' or 'put out of his misery' or whatever the phrase is they use to suggest that being a man in his 70s on air is somehow an affront," Webb told Radio Times magazine.

"Most of these folks would see themselves as impeccable anti-sexists and anti-racists, but ageism is alive and well and apparently deeply acceptable in the anti-John movement."

Humphrys took a pay cut as part of the controversy over the gender pay row at the BBC, from around £600,000 to around £290,000.

He started work at the BBC in 1966 and worked as a foreign correspondent in the US and South Africa.

The Welsh broadcaster returned to London in 1980 to become a diplomatic correspondent and a year later was promoted to main presenter of the now defunct Nine O'Clock News.

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