Listen: Johnnie Walker’s emotional sign-off brings 58-year BBC radio career to close
Johnnie Walker signed off his BBC Radio 2 show with an emotional message as he brought his 58-year career at the broadcaster to a close on Sunday, 27 October.The 79-year-old Sounds of the 70s host retired due to ill health following an idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) diagnosis.The condition causes lungs to become scarred and makes breathing increasingly difficult.Walker closed the show by saying: “It’s going to be very strange not to be on the wireless anymore. But also, by the same token, life will be slightly less of a strain, really, trying to find the breath to do programmes...“Take good care of yourself and those you love, and may we walk into the future with our heads held high and happiness in our hearts.” Read More Furious Vladimir Putin blasts BBC journalist when challenged at press conferenceJohn Stapleton reveals Parkinson’s disease has ‘frustratingly’ affected his voiceFearne Cotton reveals devastating reason she left BBC Radio 2 breakfast show
Major BBC radio stations enjoy listener bump amid summer of sport and events
Some of the BBC’s major radio stations saw audiences rally amid of summer of sport and entertainment, but local radio shows have suffered a drop in listeners, figures show.Radio 5 Live recorded a strong jump in the last quarter, a period that coincided with the Paris Olympics and Euro 2024, with its average weekly audience up 12% from 5.4 million in April to June to 6 million in July to September this year, according to data from research body Rajar.The station, which is in its 30th anniversary year and mixes news stories and sporting events, also saw a 13%...
BBC Radio Listeners Crown Ultimate British Band and It’s Exactly Who You’d Expect
BBC Radio 2 listeners in the U.K. have named their Ultimate British Band, along with 29 others, to celebrate National Album Day, which falls on October 19. National Album Day 2024 is celebrating British bands, and a BBC Radio poll asked listeners to name their favorites. Unsurprisingly, The Beatles came out on top.
Beabadooee Mashes Up Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Taste’ With The Corrs’ ‘Breathless’ on BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge
Beabadoobee is the latest artist to join the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge, and in addition to singing “Beaches” from her This Is How Tomorrow Moves album, the 24-year-old singer also performed a cover of her fellow TIME100 Next honoree, Sabrina Carpenter’s “Taste.”Matthew Sweet Suffers 'Debilitating' Stroke, GoFundMe Launched to Aid Recovery In her version of the track, Beabadoobee strips down the pop song to more breezy, ethereal sound, singing the first two verses and choruses in her characteristically sweet, high-pitched voice. She then seamlessly blends the “Taste” chorus into the hook for The Corrs’ “Breathless.” “Taste,” which was released on August...