Paul O’Grady, 67, presents his last BBC Radio 2 show in 14 years as reveals he quit because he ‘really wasn’t happy’ with shake-up that saw him having to share slot with comedian Rob Beckett
- O’Grady will be replaced by Rob Beckett who he had been sharing show with
- He wasn’t happy with being ’13 weeks on, 13 weeks off business’ and so left
- Steve Wright, Tony Blackburn and Craig Charles also lost out in BBC shake-up
- Vanessa Feltz also left as BBC bosses face accusations of ageism by listeners
Paul O’Grady said he quit his 14-year stint on BBC Radio 2 saying he ‘wasn’t really happy’ as he was forced to share his slot with comedian Rob Beckett as he becomes the last star to leave the corporation.
The presenter hosted his last Sunday evening 5-7pm slot yesterday after a shake-up saw him swapping with comedian Rob Beckett, each for 13 weeks at a time
On Instagram, he said on Sunday: ‘The reason I’m leaving, because everybody’s asked me this, is because I wasn’t really happy with the 13 weeks on, 13 weeks off business.
‘So I did the honourable thing, I honoured my contract, gave my notice in and now I’m off.
‘Thanks very much and good luck to everyone on Radio 2 and long may it continue.’
He began hosting the show in 2009 and also paid tribute to his long time producer during his 546th show as he signed off with his catchphrase: ‘Ta-Ra’.
Last week, experts claimed that BBC bosses are axing older ‘baby-boomer’ DJs for likes of Scott Mills, DJ Spoony and RuPaul’s Michelle Visage who will play hits from the 90s instead of the 60s and attract younger female listeners.
Paul O’Grady (pictured while speaking on Instagram) said he quit his 14-year stint on BBC Radio 2 saying he ‘wasn’t really happy’ as he was forced to share his slot with comedian Rob Beckett as he becomes the last star to leave the corporation
The TV and radio presenter, 67, hosted his last Sunday evening 5-7pm slot yesterday after he began presenting the show in 2009
Four BBC broadcasters got more than £10,000 on top of their salaries for work outside the corporation between April and June, new data shows.
On-air talent and senior leaders have had to publicly declare their paid outside work, including public speaking engagements, appearances or writing commitments, since January 2021.
Clive Myrie, Nick Robinson, Huw Edwards and Katya Adler were paid undisclosed sums of more than £10,000 in the three months, according to the BBC’s external events register.
Mastermind host Myrie was paid to be a moderator at an event by SCC on May 19, while Robinson, a presenter of Radio 4’s Today programme, received his payment for speaking at an event organised by law firm Mishcon de Reya on May 5.
In the BBC’s 2021/2022 annual report, Myrie was listed as having a salary of between £255,000-259,999, while Robinson was paid between £270,000-274,999.
Europe editor Adler, meanwhile, was paid for a speech for the Futures Industry Association on June 7.
And News at Ten presenter Edwards was paid for hosting an event for The British Insurance Brokers’ Association on May 11.
According to the BBC annual report, Adler earned between £215,000-219,999 in 2021/2022, while Edwards earned between £410,000-414,999.
The register classes payments in four categories – below £1,000, £1,000-5,000, £5,000-10,000, and more than £10,000.
Thirteen BBC journalists, including Fiona Bruce and Naga Munchetty, were paid between £5,000-10,000 for outside work.
Kirsty Wark, Newsnight’s longest-serving presenter, undertook two pieces of work that fell into that pay bracket – hosting an event for World Skills UK and for interview work with law firm Akin Gump.
Myrie was paid between £5,000-10,000 on two occasions – for serving as a host for PR Week and speaking for the Association of Investment Companies.
Other journalists who featured in the bracket included Faisal Islam, Spencer Kelly and Robinson.
Staff must seek written approval from a divisional head of department before signing up to any external engagements.
Director-general Tim Davie announced the move in October 2020 as part of a series of measures aimed at ensuring the broadcaster’s impartiality.
Mr O’Grady who also thanked fans on social media and his producer Malcolm Prince, saying: ‘I’ve been really lucky in my time to have worked with some smashing producers and Malcolm is way up there believe you me.’
His last track was Friends by Bette Midler as he said goodbye to his last Radio 2 show on Sunday.
He said: ‘This is the last Sunday Paul O’Grady show here on Radio 2 ever. It’s hard to say this, Malcolm, because it’s been almost 14 years hasn’t it.
‘Do you know this is one of the longest jobs I’ve ever held down. I only came to do a few hours for Elaine Paige and look what happened.
‘Anyway, I always used to say I was running from the building and there was a great big bubble that would catch me on Oxford Street and bring me back like the prisoner, but it’s not today and I can run free.’
He added: ‘From all of us here, from me and from Malcolm and everybody, thank you for tuning in these past 546 programmes. So you look after yourselves, stay safe and well. Ta-ra everyone.’
Furious fans have accused the corporation of ageism after O’Grady, 67, announced he was quitting.
PR experts have suggested that the reshuffle is all part of an attempt by bosses to effectively rebrand the station by replacing the ‘old guard’ – which includes Tony Blackburn and Craig Charles – with younger talent such as former Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills, 48.
They pointed out that the BBC was giving celebrities who might appeal to the so-called ‘Instagram generation’, such as Visage, 53, Waterloo Road actress Angela Griffin, 46, and DJ Spoony, 52, a shot at running popular slots on Friday and Saturday nights.
But they warned that the shake-up could ‘alienate’ older listeners and push them towards Radio 2’s competitors, such as Smooth, Heart and Gold, which are all owned by Global.
BBC insiders previously claimed that the corporation has been specifically targeting women between the ages of 35 and 45 as a key demographic, having previously given them the title ‘mood mums’. They claimed Radio 2 was trying to get DJs to play fewer songs from the 1960s and 70s in a bid to attract a younger audience.
PR expert Rochelle White told MailOnline: ‘There will be a bit of a backlash to these changes. No one really copes well with change, do they?
‘I think this is all about getting rid of the old blood and bringing in the new. It looks like this is an attempt to tap into the Millennials and Gen Z, and get them on board, and they might be trying to do that by giving personalities who are popular on social media better slots.
‘There’s also Michelle Visage from RuPaul – maybe that’s just the BBC swapping out one model for a newer one.
‘I also wonder how much of this is about the licence fee and the row that the BBC has had with the Government recently. Plus the BBC’s had bad press over impartiality and so on.
‘Perhaps they’re tying to get young people on the hook to show them why they should stick with the BBC, and then turn around to the Government and say: ”See, we’re popular and we provide value for the licence fee. There’s no need to change it”. Maybe there’s some of that going on too.’
Vanessa Feltz, 60, also stepped back from her shows on Radio 2 and BBC Radio London after almost 20 years at the helm.
The 60-year-old presenter, whose salary of more than £400,000 makes her the BBC’s eighth-highest earner, has quit her early morning breakfast show after nearly 20 years on air.
Radio 2 fans have accused the BBC of ageism after Paul O’Grady quit the station today. He is the latest in a string of older DJs to step back, including Steve Wright, Graham Norton and Simon Mayo. The ‘changing of the guard’ brings with it younger talent, including ex-Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills, RuPaul’s Michelle Visage, Waterloo Road’s Angela Griffin, and DJ Spoony
Paul O’Grady and Steve Wright have both quit their Radio 2 shows in recent weeks
Ms Feltz said she had to step down ‘to catch up on a much-needed decade’s deficit of beauty sleep’ and use her ‘energy-boosting shut-eye’ to ‘frolic with her fiancé Ben Ofoedu ‘who irritatingly remains 10 years younger than me.’
In the past three years, BBC Radio has also lost big-hitters Graham Norton, who quit the station just before Christmas in 2020 but whose talk show is broadcast on BBC One, and Simon Mayo.
The shake-up has provoked a backlash, with one furious listener tweeting: ‘Steve Wright, Tony Blackburn, Craig Charles and now Paul O’Grady all shafted. What is wrong with the muppets that control Radio 2? Smacks of ageism somewhat’.
Another said: ‘What is the management doing to Radio 2? First Simon Mayo, then Graham Norton, Steve Wright, Paul O’Grady. Who next, Ken Bruce? Liza Tarbuck? We’re losing the best. I don’t want a 90s obsessed Radio 2 full of ex R1 DJs’.
A third added: ‘Another DJ quits… I rarely ever listen now, as it’s become too woke. Seems that @BBCRadio2 is really falling apart and going down the pan! The BBC is certainly not what it used to be!’.
A BBC spokesperson said: ‘It was Paul’s decision to leave his Sunday afternoon show on Radio 2. Radio 2 remains committed to its multi-generational appeal that serves a 35+ audience, a target which hasn’t changed in decades, and we’re thrilled over 14.5 million listeners are tuning in each week to our brilliant range of programmes, hosted by some of the UK’s best loved presenters.
‘As listeners know, we continue to play a wide variety of the best music from the past seven decades, including from the 60s and 70s.’
The BBC confirmed Beckett will return for at least another 13 weeks of shows from Sunday August 21.
Out with the old…? BBC big-hitters Paul O’Grady, Steve Wright and Tony Blackburn step back as Scott Mills and RuPaul’s Drag Race star Michelle Visage take the helm
THE RADIO 2 BIG-HITTERS STEPPING BACK
STEVE WRIGHT
Steve Wright announced he would stop hosting his daily afternoon programme in July
Radio 2 fans deplored the BBC’s decision to replace popular DJ Steve Wright with Radio 1’s Scott Mills as the corporation seeks to ‘try something different’.
As he exited Wogan House in July, donning a purple shirt, red striped tie and suit jacket, Wright told reporters it was ‘nice of you to come over’, adding: ‘That’s the way it goes… You know, sometimes people want you, sometimes they don’t.
‘Sometimes they want to make changes, give you another offer, and that’s okay, I understand that, I really understand that.’
TONY BLACKBURN
Tony Blackburn has also taken a step back
In June, Tony Blackburn attacked the BBC for its ‘strange’ decision to move his Radio 2 show.
The 79-year-old DJ appeared to blame the decision on ageism, saying in a post on social media ‘there’s a lot of it about’.
Blackburn criticised the ‘wacky’ decision on Twitter, and fans of the show flocked to support the former Radio 1 DJ. One commented that the BBC was ‘making a lot of mistakes’ by changing up the scheduling.
CRAIG CHARLES
Craig Charles also lost his Saturday night slot in the ongoing BBC shake-up
Craig Charles’ Radio 2 show on a Saturday night was axed as part of a major shake up of the BBC channel, sparking uproar from fans.
The star, 57, has presented his show Craig Charles’ House Party on Saturdays from 10pm to midnight since 2014.
In a series of other changes Drag Race star Michelle Visage will permanently join the station with a Friday slot from 7-9pm.
VANESSA FELTZ
In July, Vanessa Feltz quit her early morning breakfast show after nearly 20 years on air
Also in July, Vanessa Feltz quit her early morning breakfast show after nearly 20 years on air.
Feltz said she had to step down ‘to catch up on a much-needed decade’s deficit of beauty sleep’ and use her ‘energy-boosting shut-eye’ to ‘frolic with her fiancé Ben Ofoedu ‘who irritatingly remains 10 years younger than me.’
Breaking down on her show as she announced the news to her listeners, the star said she would ‘try not to cry’.
PAUL O’GRADY
Paul O’Grady quit his 14-year stint on BBC Radio 2 and had hit last show on August 14
Paul O’Grady said he quit his 14-year stint on BBC Radio 2 saying he ‘wasn’t really happy’ as he was forced to share his slot with comedian Rob Beckett as he becomes the last star to leave the corporation.
The TV and radio presenter, 67, hosted his last Sunday evening 5-7pm slot in August after he began presenting the show in 2009.
A shake-up saw him regularly swapping with Beckett, each for 13 weeks at a time.
On Instagram, he said: ‘The reason I’m leaving, because everybody’s asked me this, is because I wasn’t really happy with the 13 weeks on, 13 weeks off business.
‘So I did the honourable thing, I honoured my contract, gave my notice in and now I’m off.
‘Thanks very much and good luck to everyone on Radio 2 and long may it continue.’
… AND THEIR REPLACEMENTS?
SCOTT MILLS
Scott Mills is stepping down from his R1 weekday afternoon slot in order to succeed radio legend Steve Wright as the host of his programme.
It comes after the broadcaster said goodbye to Radio 1 breakfast host Nick Grimshaw and Future Sounds star Annie Mac last year.
MICHELLE VISAGE
Michelle Visage hosts a permanent Friday night slot from 7-9pm on Radio 2
Michelle Visage hosts a permanent Friday night slot from 7-9pm on Radio 2.
The Drag Race judge, who stepped into the limelight in the late 1980s in the States as a member of the girl band Seduction, endeared herself to the wider public in the 2010s as a judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race.
But after crossing the pond to the UK in 2019, Visage, who’s joked that she was ‘a gay British man’ in a former life, found a new fan base, taking part in Channel 5’s Celebrity Big Brother UK and remaining in the house for 30 days.
Four years later, she became an instant favourite when she strutted down the Strictly stage with Giovanni Pernice in 2019.
ANGELA GRIFFIN
Waterloo Road actress Angela Griffin hosts Radio 2 Unwinds
Waterloo Road actress Angela Griffin hosts Radio 2 Unwinds, a Sunday night show (10pm-midnight) to take listeners on a ‘mood-boosting musical journey across genres and decades, to help them relax and switch off’.
She said: ‘I’m over the moon to be given my very own BBC Radio 2 programme. I loved presenting my series last year as I was already a huge fan of the station, so I’m proud to be given my first proper weekly show.
‘I’ll be bringing two hours of chilled out tunes curated by myself and the listeners, to help unwind and relax before the week ahead.’
DJ SPOONY
DJ Spoony hosts a Friday night slot from 9-11pm on Radio 2
DJ Spoony hosts a Friday night slot from 9-11pm on Radio 2.
The BBC website describes the show as: ‘Non-stop two happy hour of joyful floor fillers, soulful house and lyrical garage tunes to make you feel good!’
WHO ELSE HAS RECENTLY LEFT THE BBC AND RADIO 2?
ANDREW MARR
Andrew Marr quit the Corporation last winter to front shows on LBC and Classic FM
Andrew Marr quit the Corporation last winter to front shows on LBC and Classic FM, and is thought to have significantly increased his pay of up to £339,999 in the move.
Marr’s new weekday show will see him become the newest member of LBC’s line-up, which includes Nick Ferrari, James O’Brien, Eddie Mair, Shelagh Fogarty, Iain Dale, Tom Swarbrick, David Lammy, Camilla Tominey and Matt Frei.
EMILY MAITLIS and JON SOPEL
Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel followed Andrew Marr and jumped ship for LBC in February
Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel followed Andrew Marr and jumped ship for LBC in February this year.
The veteran journalists caused disarray at Broadcasting House after deciding to join Leicester Square-based Global, which is also home to Nick Ferrari, Eddie Mair, Shelagh Fogarty and James O’Brien.
Maitlis, who hosted Newsnight, has had a series of impartiality complaints against her because of her tweets and on-air comments about the pandemic, the Tory Government and Boris Johnson’s former chief aide Dominic Cummings.
DAN WALKER
Dan Walker also jumped ship and ditched the BBC, joining Channel 5 to be lead anchor on its revamped 5News team
Dan Walker also jumped ship and ditched the BBC, joining Channel 5 to be lead anchor on its revamped 5News team.
He walked away from his £295,000-295,999 a year role at the Beeb
The BBC dismissed the ‘brain drain’ of top talent ditching the broadcaster as ‘people come, people go’.
GRAHAM NORTON
Graham Norton quit Radio 2 before Christmas 2020
Graham Norton quit Radio 2 before Christmas 2020, but his hugely popular talk show is still broadcast on BBC television.
He said in a statement at the time: ‘Obviously I’m sad to be stepping away from my Radio 2 show. I’ll miss being a part of the Wogan House family, as well as the listeners and their lives.’
SIMON MAYO
Simon Mayo left BBC Radio 2 for Scala Radio in 2019
Simon Mayo left BBC Radio 2 for Scala Radio in 2019.
In May this year, he branded the broadcaster ‘soul destroying’ for the ‘hoops’ it makes people jump through to get a show greenlit – adding that his podcast fronted by two men would have ‘no chance’ in today’s woke era.
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