Vanessa Feltz has hit out at the corporation (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
Vanessa Feltz has hit out at the BBC for the ‘unnecessary ousting’ of Ken Bruce.
Ken signed off from his BBC Radio 2 show earlier this month, after more than 40 years at the corporation.
While the broadcaster’s contract had been due to expire at the end of March, he had previously said on Twitter he was a ‘little surprised and disappointed’ that his final show was brought forward by the BBC.
He addressed the saga ahead of his final show, telling listeners: ‘It’s entirely within the BBC’s right to ask me to step away a little early.
‘But for the sake of 17 days, which was all that was remaining (on my contract), it seems a shame.’
Talking about his departure, Vanessa seethed: ‘After this incredibly long and amazingly distinguished career, to oust Ken Bruce two or three weeks before he was expecting to go and before his contract had actually played itself out, I thought that was incredibly discourteous and disrespectful and unnecessary.
Ken left after 40 years at the BBC (Picture: Mike Lawn/Shutterstock)
She continued to the Daily Express: ‘What was the point of it? Why would you do that? Why would you leave yourselves open to criticism? Bad manners, lack of gratitude, lack of respect.’
Vanessa, 61, added that she thought Ken’s feelings must have been hurt ‘terribly’.
‘Why would you not want him to serve out every last second of his contract and bless his name for doing that?
‘Absolutely bewildering, I do not get that at all.’
Winding up the show, Ken thanked his listeners, the production team at Radio 2 and the BBC after his 30-year show came to an end.
He now moves to Bauer’s Greatest Hits (Picture: PA)
He described the BBC as ‘still the finest broadcasting corporation in the world’ aside from the ‘occasional vagary’ and also thanked members of the Ken Bruce Preservation Society who gave him a bottle of Irish cream liquor.
The DJ then played a medley of Golden Slumbers, Carry That Weight and The End that closes the Abbey Road album by The Beatles as his career at the BBC came to an end.
A Radio 2 spokesperson previously said about the departure: ‘Ken decided to leave Radio 2 and it’s always been known he’s leaving in March.
‘Returning to Wogan House for a week after a month of broadcasting the Piano Room sessions at Maida Vale provided a natural break. We wish Ken all the best for the future.’
Vanessa spoke anout feeling a sense of ageism while she was at the BBC (Picture: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)
Ken will be moving to Bauer’s Greatest Hits Radio in April to present a new mid-morning show from 10am to 1pm.
Vanessa has previously spoken out about Ken’s departure, suggesting that he may have left because of ‘some feeling of ageism’.
Discussing his departure on This Morning, Vanessa, who worked with Bruce at the BBC, said: ‘I would imagine, that it’s a feeling of some sense of ageism at the BBC.
‘That once you get over a certain age, your days are numbered, you’re not valued in the same way.
‘The music isn’t as appealing, because they’ve changed the music at Radio 2 to appeal to a younger audience they’re so desperate to get.’
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She continued: ‘I can’t speak for him, although I adore him, but I imagine he felt that he didn’t have a bright future there.’
Vanessa added that she herself had felt this sense of ageism while at the BBC.
‘Think of all the people that have left,’ she continued, listing the ‘stellar list of biggest stars with the hugest ratings who have walked away.’
‘Why would you do that from something that is so successful?’
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Ken signed off from his BBC Radio 2 show earlier this month.
