Steve Wright to leave Radio 2 Afternoon.

[yorksrob]

Scott Mills to replace Steve Wright on BBC Radio 2 afternoon show

The broadcaster and DJ's longstanding midweek afternoon slot will be filled by Radio 1's Scott Mills.

www.bbc.co.uk

BBC Radio 2 DJ Steve Wright has announced his weekday afternoon show is to end after more than 20 years.
Wright said Radio 2's boss had told him she wanted to do "something different" with his mid-afternoon slot.
He will be replaced by Scott Mills, who currently hosts afternoons on Radio 1, in a shake-up of the daytime schedule.
The new afternoon show, hosted by Mills, will be cut by an hour, while Sara Cox's drivetime show will be extended by an hour and start at 16:00.
Wright described Mills as a "brilliant and versatile" presenter.
As a result of the shake-up, Mills will leave Radio 1, which has been his home since 1998, and will also no longer present his Saturday morning show on Radio 5 Live.

• Scott Mills' most memorable Radio 1 moments

Wright, who will leave afternoons in September, is not leaving the BBC completely and will continue to present Steve Wright's Sunday Love Songs on Radio 2.
"At the beginning of this year, my friend and boss Helen Thomas, head of Radio 2, said she wanted to do something different in the afternoons," he explained to listeners on Friday.
"Now, I've been doing this programme for 24 years at Radio 2, and so how can I possibly complain? The support and creative freedom that I'm given is fantastic at Radio 2 and really I can't hog the slot forever, so let's give somebody else a go."

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.View original tweet on Twitter
In a statement, Wright added that he was developing other projects with the corporation, including a BBC Sounds spin-off called Serious Jockin' as well as "exciting new digital programmes and podcasts, which will feature elements of the afternoon show".
"We're not done yet. Afternoons will finish in September, we'll move onto new programmes and projects in October, and Love Songs will continue every Sunday morning."

Image caption,
Steve Wright pictured at a Radio 1 Roadshow
Wright made his name on Radio 1 with the original incarnation of Steve Wright in the Afternoon from 1981, bringing energy, comedy and his trusty posse - and pioneering the "zoo" format on the UK airwaves.
He moved from afternoons to the breakfast slot from 1994 to 95 before joining Radio 2 the following year, initially on Saturday mornings before resurrecting Steve Wright in the Afternoon in 1999.
Those commenting on his departure on Twitter included presenter and writer Dominik Diamond, who said Wright was "the reason I work in radio" and called him an "inspiration and legend".
Broadcaster Jamie East said Wright was "an absolute master", while BBC political editor Chris Mason said he was "radio royalty, a craftsman of the trade, one of our greatest broadcasters, a radio genius".

IMAGE SOURCE,PA MEDIA
Image caption,
Scott Mills said he was "beyond excited" to be calling Radio 2 his new home
Speaking about his own move, Mills said: "Time actually does fly when you're having fun, and that's certainly been the case over the past 24 years at my beloved Radio 1.
"I really cannot believe I'm going to be calling

Knew the ******* BBC were up to something.

Don't get me wrong, Mills is a nice enough lad, but he's filled in for Wright before and it was a litany of modern music, barely anything before the 1980's. This seems to be part of the damned BBC's conspiracy to turn Radio2 into Radio1 "lite".

 

[duncanp]

Best news I've heard for a long time.

Must rush out and buy a lottery ticket while I'm feeling lucky.

 

[yorksrob]

Best news I've heard for a long time.

Must rush out and buy a lottery ticket while I'm feeling lucky.

Yes, and buy a CD of modern tuneless dirge while you're at it.

 

[Cloud Strife]

Mind you, Scott Mills is nearly 50 himself. It's not a surprise that Radio 2 is now starting to orientate itself around the 1980s and 1990s, because people like Scott Mills, Sara Cox and so on are now middle aged themselves.

 

[Jamiescott1]

Wright is awful. Telling people what time the street lights get turned in various towns across the country, singing over songs, not being able to back fill and tedious jockin are not entertaining

Saying that I hope wright is OK as he does seem to love doing the afternoon show and will be tough for him I think.

 

[cactustwirly]

I don't mind Steve Wright in the afternoon.
Bloody hate Jeremy Vine and Rylan Clarke-Neal.

Sad Scott Mills couldn't have replaced those instead.

That said, we have Radio 2 playing at work it is decent for a variety of music to listen to across the day and still better than other radio stations

 

[yorksrob]

Mind you, Scott Mills is nearly 50 himself. It's not a surprise that Radio 2 is now starting to orientate itself around the 1980s and 1990s, because people like Scott Mills, Sara Cox and so on are now middle aged themselves.

I'm from the 90's and I've always liked Radio 2 because it's had a good range of music going back to the sixties.
If it's just going to do eighties onwards, what has it to offer beyond the commercial stations such as "Magic" ?

Sara Cox is very funny and I enjoy her show, but having heard Scott fill in for Wrighty, there will need to be a change to his playlisting for him to come close.

Wright is awful. Telling people what time the street lights get turned in various towns across the country, singing over songs, not being able to back fill and tedious jockin are not entertaining

Saying that I hope wright is OK as he does seem to love doing the afternoon show and will be tough for him I think.

I find his show extremely enjoyable. One of the few things that got me through the last couple of terrible years. I tried to avoid people booking meetings when the non-stop oldies were on

Mills didn't have the non-stop oldies when he filled in. Some half attempt designed to prevent anything from before 1980 being played instead.

I knew exactly what the BBC was up to.

 

[eastwestdivide]

This seems to be part of the damned BBC's conspiracy to turn Radio2 into Radio1 "lite".

Don’t know about conspiracy, but R2 has been a retirement home for “old” R1 DJs for donkey’s years. And Wright himself was on R1 for long enough too, 1981-95 according to wikipedia.

 

[Mojo]

I stopped listening to Radio 2 about 18 months ago because of the constant scaremongering and artificially hyped up reports on Covid were negatively affecting my mental health. However I always remember Steve Wright was my favourite show of the day, I really like the jingles he plays and the links with the other two people; I just found it to be really good radio that worked really well. Some of the running gags really made me laugh, Friday afternoons were the best for that, alongside the music.

 

[yorksrob]

Well, the Government want us back in the office, this is a good incentive.

 

[Cloud Strife]

Don’t know about conspiracy, but R2 has been a retirement home for “old” R1 DJs for donkey’s years. And Wright himself was on R1 for long enough too, 1981-95 according to wikipedia.

I was thinking exactly the same. Radio 2 is nothing but a retirement home, and it's understandable why they would start to move away from 60s/70s music.

 

[duncanp]

Yes, and buy a CD of modern tuneless dirge while you're at it.

If I wanted a modern tuneless dirge, I would just tune in to Radio 1 for free.

 

[yorksrob]

If I wanted a modern tuneless dirge, I would just tune in to Radio 1 for free.

Why don't you ? It would save ruining Radio 2.

 

[matt]

Why don't you ? It would save ruining Radio 2.

Perhaps Radio 2 isn't for you any more. Radio 2 is always going to find it difficult to appeal to a wide range so it's obviously going to be playing "newer" music as listeners move on from Radio 1.

 

[yorksrob]

Perhaps Radio 2 isn't for you any more. Radio 2 is always going to find it difficult to appeal to a wide range so it's obviously going to be playing "newer" music as listeners move on from Radio 1.

I've long given up considering anything "for me" anymore.

I chew at the husk of modernity in the vain hope for some sustenance.

 

[TheEdge]

I've long given up considering anything "for me" anymore.

I chew at the husk of modernity in the vain hope for some sustenance.

I mean if you weren't so desperate to disregard modernity Spotify and it's era curated playlists sound like a wonderful solution to you.

Barely in mind 1990 was over 30 years ago I'd hardly call 90s music modern. Brilliant yes, modern, no.

 

[yorksrob]

I mean if you weren't so desperate to disregard modernity Spotify and it's era curated playlists sound like a wonderful solution to you.

Barely in mind 1990 was over 30 years ago I'd hardly call 90s music modern. Brilliant yes, modern, no.

Well, even Sounds of the Nineties turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. Less britpop and indie, and more a teenage girls 1990''s.

Playlists are nice, but I like Wrighty's banter as well

How long until Sir Ken of Bruce is seen as not trendy enough.

All very depressing.

 

[martin2345uk]

Cannot abide 'Wrighty', will not miss Serious Jockin NO G etc, and if Mills is taking over, hopefully that means he won't stand in for Ken when he's on holiday!

 

[Blindtraveler]

When I was a child and young teenager I used to listen to radio 2 for the wide variety of music especially all the stuff from the 50s 60s at cetera that they played. As soon as this started to disappear on mass I switched off and have never really switch back on other than for some of the specialist programming and a brief period of about a year when I worked in an office with someone who absolutely adored Steve Wright in the afternoon. I I shall miss Scott mills from the chart show on radio one which I still listen to as I like a huge variety of music from the 1920s right up to now and like to follow what's going on in the top 40. I learn that I don't listen to radio 1 at all as both it and radio 2 sound very much the same to me and both have been severely dumbed down in my opinion, for those looking for a potential new home and a wider variety of music might I suggest either BBC locals or perhaps boom radio. I am 37 but boom radio is still very much of interest to me, someone with absolutely no relevance to The generation it was set up to serve

 

[lachlan]

Going to miss some of the features on Mills’ Radio 1 Show like the quiz, Bambaleo, Brother or Lover etc I’d be surprised if any of these make their way over to Radio 2. I do like Wright and will miss him too but am not keen on some of his music choices.

How long until Sir Ken of Bruce is seen as not trendy enough.

I think being “not trendy” is Ken’s thing, and I hope he stays around for a good while yet

 

[GusB]

I couldn't stand Steve Wright when he was on Radio 1 and when I did listen to Radio 2 I would switch off and listen to something else when he was on.

Good riddance!

 

[Sprinter107]

Steve Wright appears to think himself more important than the songs he plays, he either sings appallingly across them, or talks across them. I just find that so annoying. The non stop oldies are hardly non stop, again he has to keep interrupting. I just don't bother putting his programme on anymore.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Steve Wright never felt right in R2. He still wanted to be the “shock jock” he aspired to be when he was on R1. Serving up the same diatribe for years never helped him IMO.
I agree with other posts that R2 is not what it used to be. It’s trying to be upmarket and trendy when most listeners want to hear the tunes of their youth and not todays failing boy and girl bands or those not hip enough to be on R1.
Thank goodness for local independent radio stations that are not governed by official playlists.

 

[dk1]

Really going to miss his afternoon show. Been constantly around since my radio 1 days of the 80s. Not a fan of Mills but at least Sara is starting an hour earlier to soften the blow.

 

[yorksrob]

Steve Wright appears to think himself more important than the songs he plays, he either sings appallingly across them, or talks across them. I just find that so annoying. The non stop oldies are hardly non stop, again he has to keep interrupting. I just don't bother putting his programme on anymore.

At least we get a varied choice of music, rather than endless circulations of the Radio 2 playlist.

 

[greatkingrat]

Scott Mills to replace Steve Wright on BBC Radio 2 afternoon show

The broadcaster and DJ's longstanding midweek afternoon slot will be filled by Radio 1's Scott Mills.

www.bbc.co.uk

Knew the ******* BBC were up to something.

Don't get me wrong, Mills is a nice enough lad, but he's filled in for Wright before and it was a litany of modern music, barely anything before the 1980's. This seems to be part of the damned BBC's conspiracy to turn Radio2 into Radio1 "lite".

Probably in the 1980s there were people complaining that Radio 2 was playing new fangled stuff like The Beatles! Nothing can stay preserved in aspic forever.

 

[yorksrob]

Probably in the 1980s there were people complaining that Radio 2 was playing new fangled stuff like The Beatles! Nothing can stay preserved in aspic forever.

Well indeed, but at least Steve Wright plays a selection of music from across the decades.

I wouldn't have an objection to Scott Mills taking over if the music policy for the show were to remain broadly similar. Unfortunately the direction of travel for R2 seems to be to become R1 lite.

 

[Master Cutler]

Always loved Steve Wright as a DJ as his radio style followed on that of Kenny Everett and Noel Edmunds 1970s shows.
Managed to get a mention on his Serious Jocking yesterday as the wife and I travelled to Tenby for a COVID delayed 40th wedding anniversary weekend.
I will miss his shows, and doubt anyone on present BBC radio will be able to deliver a modern comedy take on the likes of Mr Angry, Sid The Manager, Gervaise The Hairdresser etc as Steve so superbly did back in the 80s.

 

[adc82140]

For anyone who thinks Radio 2 is skewing too young, it may be worth trying Boom Radio. It's on DAB as well across a lot of the UK.

Alternatively us lot in the community radio sector do things differently, and there are over 200 community stations across the UK, so there's likely to be one covering any largeish town.

 

[Lost property]

The departure of Steve Wright can only be described as a form of heavenly intervention. A truly talentless individual, obsessed with himself and his own voice. Quite how he survived for so long is a mystery...and not forgetting his faithful acolytes...the fawning could make Nadine look subjective ....Sally Traffic was a classic here...fine when talking about the A303 or Hammersmith fly over, or Fulham, but, it takes a lot to confuse the M1 with the M6...remember her smug comment about a jam on the M56, accident and I was stationary in it along with everybody else...about " well I can tell you, " and thereafter complete denial...short time later " erm, the M56 is closed " etc