The BBC radio presenter Johnnie Walker has introduced he is hanging up his headphones after a 58-year profession due to in poor health well being.
He’ll step down from presenting Sounds of the 70s and The Rock Present on BBC Radio 2 on the finish of this month.
The 79-year-old made the announcement stay on air on Sunday, telling listeners that he would make his ultimate exhibits “pretty much as good as I probably can”.
He might be changed on Sounds of the 70s by Bob Harris, whereas Shaun Keaveny would be the new presenter of The Rock Present.
Walker has pulmonary fibrosis, which is scarring of the lungs. The situation makes respiration troublesome.
Throughout his present on Sunday, he learn out a letter from a listener whose dad had beloved the present, however had handed away in 2022 on account of pulmonary fibrosis.
“Now, that leads me to be making a really unhappy announcement,” he mentioned.
“The struggles I’ve had with doing the present and attempting to type of sustain knowledgeable customary appropriate for Radio 2 has been getting an increasing number of troublesome, therefore my little jokes about Puffing Billy, so I’ve needed to make the choice that I must deliver my profession to an finish.”
Walker started his radio profession in 1966 on Swinging Radio England, an offshore pirate station, earlier than shifting to Radio Caroline.
He joined BBC Radio 1 in 1969, and joined Radio 2 in 1997 the place he has remained ever since.
Amongst these paying tribute to him was Helen Thomas, head of Radio 2, who known as him a “broadcasting legend”.
“Everybody at Radio 2, and I’m certain his tens of millions of listeners, want to thank Johnnie for entertaining us for thus many many years together with his brilliantly crafted exhibits.” she mentioned.
“He might be a lot missed on the airwaves and by his listeners, who’ve adored listening to his exhibits over time.”
Harris, who will proceed to host Radio 2’s The Nation Present, mentioned he was “proud and honoured” to be taking on the helm of Sound of the 70s from Walker.
He added: “I’ll do every little thing I can to keep up his legacy and curate the programme with the perfect music from that unbelievable decade.”
Keaveny, who has hosted varied exhibits on BBC Radio 6 Music and has sat in for Walker on The Rock Present earlier than, known as him considered one of his “final radio heroes”.
“I’m not certain how I’m going to get by the week with out listening to him, and his place in radio legend is assured,” he mentioned.
Walker’s final episode of The Rock Present will air on 25 October, and his ultimate episode of Sounds of the 70s will air two days later.