Ken Bruce to leave BBC Radio 2 in March after more than 30 years

He added that it had been "a tremendously happy time" for him but that "after 45 years of full-time broadcasting on BBC Radio it’s time for a change", while he also stressed that it was "entirely [his] decision".

• Read more – Ken Bruce: 'It seems a shame to leave BBC Radio 2 early'

"Some new opportunities have come up and I would like to continue my career in a slightly different way in the next few years, the details of which will be revealed shortly," he continued.

"I will always be very proud of my association with the BBC and Radio 2 in particular and I’d like to thank everyone who has helped to make the mid-morning show a success."

Lorna Clarke – the director of BBC Music – paid tribute to Bruce's long tenure on the station, calling him "an extraordinary broadcaster with an exceptional career over many decades".

She added: "He has been part of every significant occasion marked by BBC Radio 2 and we, his faithful audience and the Radio 2 all-star line-up will miss his warm humour and wit. Congratulations on a brilliant career."

Bruce first joined the BBC back in 1977 as a BBC Radio Scotland staff presenter, before he began regularly presenting on BBC Radio 2 in 1984 – initially on the Saturday Late Show before moving to the Breakfast Show a year later and then to mid-mornings in 1986.

He then had a brief spell on late nights and early mornings before taking up his long-standing slot in 1992.

His time at the station has seen him host coverage of Eurovision since 1988, while he has also been a regular presenter of Sunday Night Is Music Night.

Popular features on his regular show have included PopMaster, the hit quiz that has run for 25 years; Tracks of My Years, in which a famous person chooses their favourite records; and The Piano Room, which features live music from a range of great artists.

Radio 2 will announce the host and details of its new mid-morning show at a later date.

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