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Ken Bruce disappointed by BBC decision

Ken Bruce disappointed by BBC decision credit:Bang Showbiz
Ken Bruce disappointed by BBC decision credit:Bang Showbiz

Ken Bruce says it was "unnecessary" for the BBC to boot him off his Radio 2 job early.

The 72-year-old DJ was due to leave the station at the end of March, before taking up a new job at Greatest Hits Radio from April 3, but radio bosses sent him packing early, leaving Ken disappointed.

He told the Daily Mail newspaper: "That was disappointing. I thought, 'Come on, you can trust me. I’m not going to do a Dave Lee Travis' [referring to the ex-BBC DJ who bitterly resigned on air in 1993]. I’m not going to start badmouthing everybody, because I had a lovely time at the BBC. So it was all a bit... unnecessary."

Ken revealed he had been happy at the BBC but decided to leave when he wasn't approached about a renewal to his last two-year contract. However the BBC then offered him a three-year deal after he signed his new contract.

He said: "I wanted it to be my decision,’ he says. ‘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.

"These people are very good at hiding their emotions. 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'.

"I didn’t want to get into a bidding war. To be honest, I wouldn’t feel happy taking more money from the BBC when a lot of people are losing their jobs. That’s not why I left anyway. I don’t do things just for money."

A BBC spokesperson previously told MailOnline: "Ken decided to leave Radio 2 and it's always been known he's leaving in March.

"Returning to Wogan House for a week after a month of broadcasting the Piano Room sessions at Maida Vale provided a natural break. We wish Ken all the best for the future."