Tony Blackburn has announced that he is leaving his BBC radio show after 14 years.
The 81-year-old broadcasting great confirmed the news, revealing that he will stand down after the final edition of his local afternoon show airs next month.
He wrote on X: ‘Hi there, just wanted to let you know that I have decided to end my @BBCLOCALRADIO Sunday afternoon show that goes out on @BBCBerkshire @BBCoxford @BBCRadioSolent and @BBCSounds.
‘My last show will be on March 24th. I have been a part of the Berkshire line up since 2012 and have loved doing the show bringing music from the 50’s up to the present day.
‘I have loved the callers and the fun we’ve had.’
The former The I’m A Celeb winner has not ruled out a comeback in the future, but for the time being, he prefers to focus on other projects.
Hi there, just wanted to let you know that I have decided to end my @BBCLOCALRADIO Sunday afternoon show that goes out on @BBCBerkshire @BBCOxford @BBCRadioSolent and @BBCSounds My last show will be on March 24th. I have been a part of the Berkshire line up since 2012 and… pic.twitter.com/m8uJU8FJk5
— Tony Blackburn OBE. (@tonyblackburn) February 8, 2024
He added: ‘At some stage, I might come back to BBC Local radio but, for now, I’m going to focus on my @BBCRadio2 shows Sounds Of The Sixties and the Golden Hour and my theatre tour which comes back in March.’
The shocking disclosure comes only weeks after Tony resigned down from BBC Radio London after delivering different shows on the network since 1981, including his Soul On Sunday series.
‘Hi everyone, just thought I’d let you know that after many happy years on @BBCRadioLondon I have decided to leave the station and this Sunday will be my last Soul On Sunday,’ he said back in December.
‘Over the years we have had a lot of fun with some fantastic live shows for Children in Need and have played some great music. I will still be continuing @BBCBerkshire @BBCOxford and @BBCRadioSolent on Sunday afternoon and of course on the great @BBCRadio2.
‘This is totally my decision and thanks to the many happy years there, but time to move on. Thanks for listening.’
At the moment, a BBC representative praised the legend for his work at the channel.
They said: ‘Tony has been a huge part of BBC Radio London for a long time and we’d like to thank him for everything he has done for the station.’
Replying to worried fans at the time, Tony said he was wasn’t going to ‘ever think about retiring’ and said he ‘never will’.
He also added, in response to one X user @laurenahouse, who said she was glad he was staying on in his other roles: ‘I have a deep love of radio and I love doing it, I am so lucky to work at radio stations I love and work with such wonderful people who make me very happy and the fact I have the most incredible loyal listeners and my live Sounds Of The Sixties theatre show.
‘I am incredibly lucky thank you all.’
Tony was the first disc jockey to take the mike on Radio 1 when it debuted in 1967, and he went on to have a highly successful career as one of the UK’s most well-known radio personalities.
In November 2010, he took over as host of Radio 2’s Pick Of The Pops, after two previous long-serving hosts, Alan Freeman and Dale Winton; he also won I’m A Celebrity in 2002.
Last year, the Radio 2 personality was hospitalised for pneumonia after first reporting a chest illness.
He developed sepsis while fighting the illness, resulting in a two-month hospital stay.
