Ken Bruce revealed that after over 50 years with the BBC, all he received as a farewell present was a “hamper and a bottle of wine.”
The 72-year-old Scottish presenter had been in charge of BBC Radio 2’s mid-morning slot for more than 30 years until retiring earlier this month.
While his contract was set to expire a few weeks later, the broadcaster moved forward his last date on air, which he previously stated left him “a little surprised and disappointed.”
He’s now disclosed what his final farewell was, and it was rather low-key despite decades of dedication to the firm.
When questioned if he was given a send-off supper before leaving, he disclosed that his farewell consisted of some presents and words.
‘Hollow laugh,’ he said when asked if a big party was thrown.
‘But they very kindly sent me a hamper from a well-known London store [Fortnum and Mason].’
Although he said it wasn’t a big one, he also got ‘a bottle of wine and a bunch of flowers’.
On his last day, one of his superiors came down to the studio, but the others were gone and texted him.
‘Both were apparently out of town at the time. I wasn’t looking for a big fuss,’ he added when speaking to the Daily Mail.
Ken noted that while working on occasions such as the funerals of both Prince Philip and the Queen had been a “great honor,” he thought it was time to move on at the end of last year.
‘I wanted it to be my decision. There was no pressure and I’ve been more appreciated in the last ten years at the BBC than I was in the first 25. But I decided to go,’ he said.
When he quit, he was told that the BBC intended to give him another three-year contract, but it wasn’t enough to persuade him to stay.
He didn’t want to go into a bidding battle, but he also didn’t want to take more money when ‘a lot of people are losing their jobs.’
He added: ‘That’s not why I left anyway. I don’t do things just for money’.
Ken, on the other hand, described being pushed off the air as “disappointing” and “unnecessary.”
Fans of the host, however, will soon be able to hear him back on the airways when he begins at Greatest Hits Radio, with his first programme scheduled for April 3.