BBC Radio Cambridgeshire presenter Paul Stainton announces he is leaving station

Paul said his show a week on Friday will be his last for the BBC so he can instead concentrate on his media and communication company.

He said: “After 10 years of laughter, tears and joy I have reluctantly decided to hang up my headphones at BBC Radio Cambridgeshire at the end of September.

“Instead I will concentrate in the future on my burgeoning media and communications company, ps media, which is taking up increasing amounts of my time.

“It was a very difficult decision to make, to give up something that you absolutely love doing, but whilst I will miss broadcasting greatly it is the right thing to do at this moment in time, for my family and my business.

“Of course it will be strange for me at first, not being on the radio, but it is time for a new challenge and a new beginning. I want to focus on the positive and work in a creative and inspiring environment.

“I leave the BBC with my head held high and a tear in my eye, extremely proud of the amazing things that I, and the people that I worked with, have achieved in the past decade.

“After all, I only came back to BBC Radio Cambridgeshire to manage the Peterborough office and pass on my knowledge, skills and experience to a younger generation – I like to think that I have done that and empowered and inspired others to do the same.

“The last 10 years have absolutely flown by, and in that time we have built record audiences and won awards; doubling the listeners to the Peterborough breakfast show and increasing the audience, when we went county wide at breakfast, to over 80,000 listeners.

“Even as I walk away ‘The BIG Conversation’ remains the most listened to show on this radio station.

“All that phenomenal success is not just down to me, I am nothing without the many talented people that I have worked with – in particular, Ben Stevenson, who was there at the start and will be there at the end, an integral part of what has been a very special ride and I will take away many great memories of the fantastic radio we have created together.

“Of course I will miss all the incredible people that I have worked with and the listeners, but I will miss you guys – people I have interviewed, friends I have made and folks I have shared a joke with on air – it has been a joy.

“My final show will be on Friday the 29th of September.

“I will be having a bit of a bash on Saturday the 30th of September at the Ramblewood Inn at Orton Hall in Peterborough (on Oundle Road, across from Ferry Meadows) and throwing the doors open to anybody who has ever appeared or contributed to the show.

“It could just be me and Eileen sharing a shandy but I am prepared to take that risk! It kicks off at 7pm and it would be great to see as many of you there as possible to say a proper goodbye.”