FEATURE:
As One BBC Radio 2 Legend Says Goodbye…
The End of Steve Wright’s Afternoon Show and the Presenters I Would Like to Hear on the Station
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THERE was a lot of reaction online…
IN THIS PHOTO: Steve Wright at BBC Radio 1
to the news that BBC Radio 2’s Steve Wright will leave his afternoon show after over two decades. I can’t remember the first time I heard his show. It must have been in the late-1990s, not long after it started (in 1999). Wright is embarking on other projects, but he will remain on radio and take on fresh challenges. He will be replaced in his afternoon slot by BBC Radio 1’s Scott Mills. BBC reported on the news that one of their longest-serving broadcasters is departing his much-loved afternoon slot:
“BBC Radio 2 DJ Steve Wright has announced his weekday afternoon show is to end after more than 20 years.
Wright said Radio 2's boss had told him she wanted to do "something different" with his mid-afternoon slot.
He will be replaced by Scott Mills, who currently hosts afternoons on Radio 1, in a shake-up of the daytime schedule.
The new afternoon show, hosted by Mills, will be cut by an hour, while Sara Cox's drivetime show will be extended by an hour and start at 16:00.
Wright described Mills as a "brilliant and versatile" presenter.
As a result of the shake-up, Mills will leave Radio 1, which has been his home since 1998, and will also no longer present his Saturday morning show on Radio 5 Live.
Wright, who will leave afternoons in September, is not leaving the BBC completely and will continue to present Steve Wright's Sunday Love Songs on Radio 2.
IN THIS PHOTO: Scott Mills
"At the beginning of this year, my friend and boss Helen Thomas, head of Radio 2, said she wanted to do something different in the afternoons," he explained to listeners on Friday.
"Now, I've been doing this programme for 24 years at Radio 2, and so how can I possibly complain? The support and creative freedom that I'm given is fantastic at Radio 2 and really I can't hog the slot forever, so let's give somebody else a go."
In a statement, Wright added that he was developing other projects with the corporation, including a BBC Sounds spin-off called Serious Jockin' as well as "exciting new digital programmes and podcasts, which will feature elements of the afternoon show".
"We're not done yet. Afternoons will finish in September, we'll move onto new programmes and projects in October, and Love Songs will continue every Sunday morning."
Wright made his name on Radio 1 with the original incarnation of Steve Wright in the Afternoon from 1981, bringing energy, comedy and his trusty posse - and pioneering the "zoo" format on the UK airwaves.
He moved from afternoons to the breakfast slot from 1994 to 95 before joining Radio 2 the following year, initially on Saturday mornings before resurrecting Steve Wright in the Afternoon in 1999.
Those commenting on his departure on Twitter included presenter and writer Dominik Diamond, who said Wright was "the reason I work in radio" and called him an "inspiration and legend".
IN THIS PHOTO: Sara Cox/PHOTO CREDIT: Alex Lake/The Observer
Broadcaster Jamie East said Wright was "an absolute master", while BBC political editor Chris Mason said he was "radio royalty, a craftsman of the trade, one of our greatest broadcasters, a radio genius".
Speaking about his own move, Mills said: "Time actually does fly when you're having fun, and that's certainly been the case over the past 24 years at my beloved Radio 1.
"I really cannot believe I'm going to be calling Radio 2 my new home! I'm beyond excited to be joining the team and working alongside my radio idols and friends at the legendary Wogan House."
He described Wright as "one of the finest broadcasters in the world and someone whom I look up to so much".
Mills has worked as a cover presenter on Radio 2 in recent years, often standing in for Ken Bruce and Rylan Clark.
His popular features on Radio 1 over the years have included Laura's Diary, Flirt Divert, Badly Bleeped TV, Stupid Street, Innuendo Bingo and Oh! What's Occurring.
His departure from Radio 1 means his co-host Chris Stark will also leave the station.
Cox, who has hosted the drivetime show since 2019, said: "It's been an absolute honour following Steve Wright's Big Show and I'd like to thank him for all his support and kindness since I started Teatime."
She added: "I'm beyond chuffed to have three whole hours to hang out and have a laugh with the listeners whilst playing some of the best tunes in the world”.
IN THIS PHOTO: Angela Scanlon
It is also great that the marvellous Sara Cox is getting more time on her show. She is one of the very best broadcasters around. I love her show. A legend who is going to stay at the station (we hope) for decades more, I look forward to seeing where her show goes and how it progresses. It must be sad for Cox to say goodbye to Steve Wright later in the year, as her show follows her during the week. I have been thinking about Steve Wright and how he has affected me. I listen more to BBC Radio 6 Music, but I also tune into BBC Radio 2 a lot for the brilliance of Zoe Ball, Sara Cox, Ken Bruce and Steve Wright. He is a consummate professional who is going to very missed. I wonder what is planned for his final show. Although there have been changes and new presenters on BBC Radio 2, there are a few names that I would love to hear more from. Shaun Keaveny (formerly of BBC Radio 6 Music) has stood in for Liza Tarbuck on her show. He is a sensational broadcaster and someone who proved very popular when standing in for Tarbuck. Whether there are more cover shifts planned I am not sure, but a more regular slot would definitely prove a popular option. He is someone that I would love to hear on a Saturday evening, say. Maybe a later Saturday slot or a couple of hours in the morning.
IN THIS PHOTO: Cat Deeley
Two other broadcasters who have appeared on BBC Radio 2 but are not permanent fixtures are Cat Deeley and Angela Scanlon. Not that either would step into Steve Wright/Scott Mills’ position but, as there is this big change (and Sara Cox has her show extended), I do wonder whether there are plans for new additions. I love Cat Deeley and Angela Scanlon. Both were a breath of fresh air when they presented for the station. Deeley is someone I remember first seeing on television decades ago. She is such a respected and loved figure, her energy and passion is clear when she was on BBC Radio 2. The same is true of Angela Scanlon. Maybe not permanent shows, there must be room in the schedule to hear these two brilliant women back on BBC Radio 2 soon. Maybe they may feature to cover for other broadcasters on the station this year but, after hearing Deeley and Scanlon when they were last on the station, their shows and words are still in my mind! I think the current schedule and line-up at BBC Radio 2 is great but, like every station, there is always room and opportunity to broaden and change. We shall see what happens in the coming years in regards other broadcaster joining the fold.
Whilst I have been thinking about other remarkable broadcasters and how they could add to BBC Radio 2, it remains to wish Steve Wright all the very best of luck! He has a lot of other things in the pipeline, but afternoons on the station will not quite be the same. Scott Mills will do an excellent job. Sara Cox’s show is being lengthened. There was a lot of love for her on social media yesterday when we heard Steve Wright was departing his afternoon slot. Even before his BBC Radio 2 show, I was aware of Steve Wright. From his presenting on Top of the Pops to his stint on BBC Radio 1, he is a legend who has influenced so many other broadcasters! I have so much respect for those who can do the same show for so many years. Radio is a wonderful medium but putting together a three-hour show and sustaining that energy is so difficult! We will bid farewell to a master in September. It will be the end of an era but, as Steve Wright is still on the station and will be doing other things, there is that excitement of listening to him do something new. Thinking about Steve Wright, and it is not sadness and loss I (and many others) feel. It is thanks and admiration for all that he has given to us through the decades. There is no doubt that he is…
ONE of the broadcasting greats.