BBC Radio 2 loses 1 million listeners amid Ken Bruce's exit

The drop comes from new figures revealing that the average weekly listeners for the BBC station dropped by 7%.

It saw listeners drop from 14.5 million in January to March to 13.5 million from April to June.

Overall, this was the largest quarterly fall for BBC Radio 2 since Rajar, an audience research body, began collecting data in September 2021.

BBC Radio 2 loses 1 million listeners after Ken Bruce's exit

Bruce presented on Radio 2 for more than three decades with his mid-morning show before leaving for Greatest Hits Radio in April. 

Every day thousands would tune in to listen to Bruce's music quiz, PopMaster, which he has taken over to his new station. 

Ken Bruce now hosts on Greatest Hits Radio, (Image: PA)

Bruce announced he would be leaving the BBC station in early 2023, expecting to leave at the end of March. 

However, his time was cut early after the DJ shared he would be leaving at the start of March as the BBC cut his contract short. 

Taking over the DJ duties from Bruce was Veron Kay who has hosted the mid-morning show since May.

Speaking to The Mirror, Station boss Helen Thomas said: "Radio 2 remains the UK's most popular radio station with 13.5 million loyal listeners who tune in each week to the best music from the past seven decades, presented by some of the country's most loved presenters.

"Congratulations to the brilliant Zoe Ball who continues to host the most listened-to Breakfast Show in the country."

The former BBC Radio 2 DJ recently spoke to Alan Titchmarsh on his new job, sharing: "I am feeling like this is a new chapter, I'm trying to climb again, not decline.

"I'm sorry to be leaving Radio2 but I had been there a long time. Sometimes you feel it is time to move. I wanted to try something else while I am young and alive enough!"