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Paul O’Grady to leave Radio 2

By Andy Malt | Published on Tuesday 9 August 2022

Paul O’Grady has announced that he is leaving BBC Radio 2, where he has presented a Sunday afternoon show since 2009. This follows a decision by the BBC earlier this year to cut the number of shows presented by O’Grady annually from 40 to 26.

“I’ve loved doing my Sunday afternoon show for the last fourteen years and I’m going to miss my listeners as well as the fun I’ve had with my producer Malcolm Prince, but I feel that now is the right time to go”, says O’Grady in a statement.

Head Of Radio 2, Helen Thomas, adds: “I’d like to thank Paul for so many years of his brilliant Sunday afternoon show. I’m sorry to see him go, but I wish Paul the very best of luck for the future and hope to work with him again as the door is always open to him here at Radio 2”.

O’Grady initially joined Radio 2 in 2008 as an occasional stand-in for Elaine Paige. He was then given his weekly Sunday afternoon slot in April 2009. O’Grady took a three month break from the show in 2020 during the initial COVID-19 lockdown. His show then returned with a series of compilation editions, before O’Grady began pre-recording new programmes from his home.

In February this year, it was announced that the BBC had decided to almost halve the number of shows presented by O’Grady each year, and that he would take another three month break from presenting. He returned in May for a thirteen week series, which is due to come to an end this Sunday.

From 21 Aug, comedian Rob Beckett will take over for his own thirteen week run of shows, as had already been planned. It has not yet been announced who will take on the slot after that series comes to an end in November.