Terry Wogan quits the BBC Radio 2 breakfast show

Veteran broadcaster calls it a day but will continue to host a show at the weekend

FIRST POSTED SEPTEMBER 7, 2009

Broadcaster Terry Wogan, the UK's most popular radio breakfast show host and one of the BBC’s most outspoken presenters, is to leave his Radio 2 show at the end of the year. He will be replaced by Chris Evans.

The 71-year-old confirmed the decision on his Wake Up to Wogan show this morning, saying that the decision to step down was the hardest of his career. He told listeners: "I'd rather leave while we're in love, as the song says, while the programme is the most popular on British radio, while we still delight in each other's company."

The veteran DJ has presented Radio 2's breakfast show in two stints for a total of 27 years. His first stretch lasted from 1972 to 1984, when he left to present this three-times-a-week BBC1 chat show Wogan. He rejoined Radio 2 in 1993 and has presented Wake Up to Wogan for the past 16 years, establishing it as Britain's highest-rating breakfast show. Recent figures showed Wake Up to Wogan attracts a weekly audience of 7.93 million listeners.

He is not leaving his Radio 2 home for good, however: he will present a new weekend show, launching early next year.

Wogan made headlines last week when he described news reading as a "piece of cake". In his forthcoming book, Where Was I?! The World According To Terry Wogan he takes aim at "self-important" news anchors who he says have "the easiest job in the media".

For non radio listeners, he has been best known for his hilariously snarky commentaries on the annual Eurovision Song Contest, a job he finally gave up last year, to the relief of Eurovision organisers.

FIRST POSTED SEPTEMBER 7, 2009

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About time too. He's like Parkinson, should have retired years ago. Greedy git. Next thing he'll be advertising life assurance for the over 50s, "have you had an accident at work". I'll tell you, Parkinson really went down in my estimation when he started it.

Posted by Dark Lochnagar at 3:25pm on September 7, 2009

One of the hallmarks of the early 21st century might be that it has become all too easy to lambast the easy charm of the late 20th C. I'm not a TOG but I am a late 30 something journalist who remembers some of the best programming the BBC ever had - long before it became (through necessity or choice) the flashier niece to the beloved Auntie Beeb. Terry will always be part of that world which, ten years into this uncertain century, already seems light years away. TW might be a bit Terry and Junish to many (for all their foibles), but falls easily into the Good Life, Fawlty Towers, Blackadder, Dallas, MASH, Morecambe and Wise, pre internet, A Round With Alliss, One Man and His Dog, Dad's ARMY categories - call me old fashioned but everyone seemed much happier. TW is the most astute businessman on the planet - a self effacingly - (cleverly) -erudite man. He's possibly doing a Tony Blair - i.e. he knows when to go - but will he be able to keep quiet?

Posted by M Hickes at 7:48pm on September 7, 2009