Paul O’Grady signs off final Radio 2 show

Paul O’Grady has finished his 14-year stint on Radio 2 and confirmed reports it was because he was unhappy about sharing his Sunday afternoon slot.

O’Grady has hosted his current show for 13 years, but a recent scheduling change saw Rob Beckett taking over for two three-month stints each year.

Ahead of his final show, O’Grady cited the change as the reason he was going.

Also leaving the station is his producer Malcolm Prince, whom he jokingly insulted on every show.

Speaking to his long-suffering colleague in their 546th and final programme, O’Grady, 67, said the show had been one of the “longest jobs I’ve ever held down”, before addressing his listeners to tell them it “wouldn’t have been the same” without them.

Remembering that his initial work for Radio 2 had been as an occasional stand-in presenter 14 years ago before he was handed his current show in 2009, he said: “I only came to do a few hours for Elaine Paige and look what happened.”

He added that it was time to “hang up his headphones” and “run free”.

His last show included many of his popular segments, including providing the recipe for a Hawaiian-style cocktail and paying tribute to listeners’ pets that have recently died.

After playing his last song, Friends by Bette Midler, he signed off with: “So you look after yourselves, stay safe and well. Ta-ra everyone.”

O’Grady and Beckett had swapping over every 13 weeks in the slot, after a shake-up to the station’s schedule.

Two other big names – Vanessa Feltz and Craig Charles – have been announced in recent months as leaving the station, while Steve Wright is also vacating his weekday afternoon slot to be replaced by Scott Mills, and many other shows have been moved on the station’s schedule.

In an Instagram post on Sunday, O’Grady said: “The reason I’m leaving, because everybody’s asking me this, is because I wasn’t really happy with the 13 weeks on, 13 weeks off business.”

He added: “Thanks very much and good luck to everyone on Radio 2 and long may it continue.”

He said he had handled the matter in “an honourable way”, seeing out his current contract and handing in his notice to station bosses.

O’Grady came to prominence in the 1990s as a stand-up comedian with a Scouse drag queen persona, Lily Savage, with which he presented game show Blankety Blank and other light entertainment programmes.

He went on to host a number of chat shows, first with ITV and later with Channel 4, and a revival of dating show Blind Date.

He continues to host For The Love of Dogs, an ITV series following the staff at Battersea Dogs Home and the dogs they care for.

Helen Thomas, head of Radio 2, wished him luck for the future and said she was “sorry to see him go”.

Beckett will return to Sunday afternoons for his next 13-week run of shows next Sunday.