Paul O’Grady: Why he quit BBC Radio 2 and who else has left the station in the past two years
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Paul O’Grady is reportedly set to become a host at a rival radio station less than year on from quitting his role as a presenter on BBC Radio 2. The 67-year-old, famed for his comedic talent and for his love of pets, first joined the station in 2009 as a guest on Elaine Paige’s Sunday show.
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Hide AdIt wasn’t long before the comedian became a regular voice on our devices after landing his own two-hour long programme, Paul O’Grady on the Wireless, which was broadcast on Sundays from 5–7pm.
In August 2022, O’Grady announced that he would be stepping down from his role after 14 years due to an unprecendented scheduling change that meant he was sharing a slot with Rob Beckett.
He 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."
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Hide AdHis emotional last show aired in the same month on Sunday, August 14. Beckett has since replaced him full-time. Paul has now revealed that he will be working at Boom Radio over the Easter weekend.
Speaking to The Daily Mail, he said: "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."
In April, the nation witnessed the historic departure of Ken Bruce, who left Radio 2 for a new venture - to present a new radio show on commercial station Greatest Hits Radio.
Last September, Steven Wright also signed off from his final Radio 2 afternoon show where he thanked his listeners for tuning in for the last 23 years.
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