Ken Bruce takes swipe at younger BBC DJs who 'talk about themselves' after being replaced
Ken Bruce has subtly criticised the new wave of BBC Radio 2 presenters following his departure from the station, after wrapping up an impressive 46-year career.
Bruce, who recently began hosting at Greatest Hits Radio, hinted that there might be too much chatter and not enough music among some "less experienced" DJs who aren't following what he regards as a golden broadcasting rule.
The 73 year old, succeeded in his prime Radio 2 slot by Vernon Kay, 50, shared with a hint of disapproval: "I think some younger people in broadcasting, less experienced people, can say, 'They want to hear me talk about myself.' And that's not necessarily true."
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He continued explaining his philosophy on radio presenting, stating, "It's not about what you say, it's what you don't say on radio. You don't have to talk a lot to make an impression. You can do that in three words or a sentence. You don't have to talk for four minutes about what you were doing or what you thought was funny."
Moreover, Bruce opened up in The Sunday Times about his upset towards the BBC management's decisions over the years, which he feels haven't always prioritised the listener's experience.
Reflecting on a past incident where he was unexpectedly moved from his successful mid-morning show to a late slot, he explained, "I thought, I haven't done anything wrong here and it's all working. It was a political decision."
Ken first moved to mid mornings in 1986 and - after a stint on late nights for less than a year in 1990, and then into early mornings - he returned to the mid morning slot in January 1992, which he fronted for over 30 years until his departure in 2023.
Ken has voiced his concerns, stating: "I do worry for the future of the BBC."
He believes the broadcaster needs to be cautious with its direction, noting that "I think it needs to watch where it is going. Commercial radio is really healthy, it is growing and growing and growing. And I just think it's difficult to reinvent something [the Radio 2 schedule] that has been successful for many years."
Explaining his departure from Radio 2, Ken revealed his desire to avoid negativity: "I was always really happy there, but when I got towards the end of those years, I was starting to think I'd been there too long."
He revealed to The Express earlier this year: "I didn't want to become embittered, or a little bit sour about the place and feel out of place and I was just getting that feeling in the back of my mind that I wasn't as comfortable as I had been, say, five years before."