Simon Mayo blasts the BBC over Drivetime debacle and says: I thought I’d be at Radio 2 until I was 94
SIMON MAYO today reveals how BBC mismanagement sparked his departure from Radio 2.
Despite attracting six million listeners a day as solo presenter of Drivetime, Mayo, 60, was told he would be co-hosting the show with Jo Whiley.
The partnership was a ratings flop and they were axed after a few months, with Mayo then leaving Radio 2.
Speaking for the first time about his exit in today’s Event magazine, the broadcaster admits to being deeply hurt when Lewis Carnie, boss of Radio 2, didn’t have the decency to tell him face-to-face about the new arrangement.
Mayo recalls: ‘He goes to my agent, then my agent rings up and says, “Lewis says you’ve got to have a co-presenter.” And I said, “Oh, really? That’s interesting.” ’
Mayo says. ‘It was not how I imagined the end of my career at Radio 2 would work out! I certainly had no intention of going anywhere.
‘I had thought I would stay there until I was 94, then retire and drop dead. But it didn’t work out like that, so it was an uncomfortable period.
‘They thought it would be an improvement and make the network more contemporary. They made a mistake.’
Mayo launches a classical radio station called Scala next month.
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