Ken Bruce has said that one of his most memorable moments on his BBC Radio 2 show involved his fellow Oxfordshire-dweller Geri Horner and her flatulent dog.

The radio presenter has also revealed that he thinks his “normal life” approach to presenting is the reason he appeals to his loyal audience.

The 72-year-old, who lives in Thame, told the Radio Times of one of his career lowlights, in which “a member of a girl group – well, it’s Geri Halliwell – who was not helpful, shall we say”.

Mr Bruce said: “She brought in somebody she had met on the street, and this was just after a major terrorism incident.”

He added: “And a dog that farted.”

Oxford Mail:

Mr Bruce has left his Radio 2 mid-morning programme after 30 years.

During his final address on-air he thanked listeners, members of the Ken Bruce Preservation Society who gave him a bottle of Irish cream liquor, and his production crew.

Echoing a Beatles lyric, he added: “In the end the love you take is equal to the love you make and I have loved being here with you.”

He was Radio 2’s longest-serving male broadcaster, and his mid-morning show had an audience of more than 8million.

But of his secret to success, he said he believes there is none.

He said: “I just come on and am roughly myself – or a slightly better version – and hope that’s what people like.

“I don’t do laugh-out-loud stuff: wry smiles are what I like to get.”

The veteran DJ said: “Would something that works for someone my age work for someone of 15 who is listening in the car with their mum, or someone who is 35?"

He added: “Broadly speaking, I do normal life: things going wrong with your washing machine, children not cleaning their bedrooms.

“I don’t go to showbiz parties, but I wouldn’t talk about it if I did. If you talk about digging the garden – not everyone’s got a garden. Not everyone can afford a car.

Oxford Mail:

“You have to not say things that’ll make people think, ‘He doesn’t begin to understand my life’.”

Mr Bruce will be replaced by TV presenter Vernon Kay, who will take over  on a date yet to be announced.

He will be moving to Bauer’s Greatest Hits Radio in April to present a new mid-morning show from 10am to 1pm.

Gary Davies is the interim presenter and has ushered a new daily music trivia game called Ten To The Top to test listeners’ music knowledge to replace Pop Master.

 

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