Paul O’Grady joins BBC rival after Radio 2 exit
PAUL O’Grady has landed a brand new radio show after his shock BBC Radio 2 exit.
The 67-year-old beloved broadcaster spent 14 years over on BBC Radio, only to quit in August 2022.
O’Grady will now be heading over to Boom Radio, hosting his first Sunday show on Easter Sunday alongside Malcolm Prince, his long-standing producer and co-worker.
Announcing the move, O’Grady told DailyMail: “It’s great to be working with the team at Boom again. It already feels like my new radio home.
“My producer Malcolm and I are looking forward to our special TeamPOG show on Easter Sunday – who knows, this could be the start of a regular gig.”
O’Grady’s exit from BBC Radio 2 came amid a massive cull of regular hosts, with the team aiming for a ‘younger’ audience with their host of new presenters.
While O’Grady said the time it was simply “the right time to go”, he later admitted he felt “pushed out” by having to share the slot across with Rob Beckett.
Beckett has now completely taken over the spot.
He later told Metro: “Radio 2 has changed, it’s not what it was. They’re trying to aim for a much younger audience, which doesn’t make sense because you’ve got Radio 1. Radio 2 was always for an older audience.”
In the seven months since O’Grady has left, two more long-standing presenters have been given their marching orders.
Steve Wright left in September 2022 after 23 years and was replaced by Scott Mills, who had been moved over from Radio One.
Then in February 2023, after 31 years of service at the station and a lifetime-long career with the BBC, Ken Bruce was told to hang up his headphones on Popmaster.
Bruce later revealed his exit was even sped up, giving him just a week before his time on the station was over.
The move was condemned by long-standing presenters at the BBC, with Rylan among those declaring: “Bruce IS Radio 2”.
Vernon Kay was announced as his replacement and Bruce now presents on Greatest Hits Radio, taking his Popmaster show with him.
Other exits over the last three years alone include Simon Mayo, Vanessa Feltz, and Graham Norton.