‘Rude and disrespectful’: Vanessa Feltz lashes out at BBC over alleged handling of Ken Bruce’s Radio 2 exit

Vanessa Feltz has hit out at the BBC over her alleged handling of Ken Bruce’s departure from Radio 2.

Legendary broadcaster Bruce, who has been with the station since 1984, announced his departure from hosting the morning show in January, with his final show scheduled for late March.

However, in February Bruce said he would indeed finish the show the following Friday (March 3), with the presenter claiming that “the BBC decided I should leave earlier”.

In a new interview, Feltz – who herself left the BBC last year after almost 20 years – branded the alleged circumstances of Bruce’s departure as “baffling”.

“After such an incredibly long and amazingly outstanding career, I found it incredibly rude, disrespectful and unnecessary to oust Ken Bruce two or three weeks before he was scheduled to leave and before his contract was up,” she said Express.co.uk.

“What was the point of that? why would you do that Why do you allow yourself to be open to criticism? Bad manners, lack of gratitude, lack of respect. It was an absolutely extraordinary decision and I think Ken must have been upset because he didn’t mention it. I think it must have hurt his feelings terribly.”

Feltz continued, “Why on earth would you want to hurt the feelings of a person who, over a period of about 30 years, has consistently delivered more listeners than any other station in the country?

“Why don’t you want him to serve out every second of his contract and bless his name for it? Absolutely confusing, I don’t get it at all.”

The Independent has reached out to the BBC for comment.

In January, Bruce announced he was leaving the company after 45 years to host a show on commercial rival Greatest Hits Radio.

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The veteran presenter, 72, told listeners in January that he “did everything there was to do” on the station.

“I want to emphasize that this is entirely my decision,” he said at the time. “I will always be very proud of my association with the BBC and Radio 2.”

However, he later claimed that although he “had intended to fulfill my contract by the end of March, the BBC decided I should leave earlier”.

A BBC spokesman said The Independent: “Ken has decided to leave Radio 2 and it was always known that he was leaving in March. Returning to Wogan House for a week after a month of broadcasting the Piano Room Sessions in Maida Vale offered a natural break. We wish Ken all the best for the future.”

However, inside sources claimed that Bruce’s show ended early to prevent him from promoting his new show on Greatest Hits Radio.

Feltz left Radio 2 last summer, recently describing the experience as “hellish” and “absolutely awful”.