Steve Wright was set for BBC Radio 2 comeback earlier than his loss of life
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Steve Wright was because of make a comeback to BBC Radio 2 as a part of a line-up for a ‘pop nostalgia’ spin-off station earlier than his loss of life.
Bosses unveiled plans final week to introduce 4 new radio stations in an try and claw again alienated listeners to the BBC, together with a brand new Radio 2 spin-off specializing in the music of the Fifties, Nineteen Sixties and Nineteen Seventies.
The station would’ve been the brand new residence of the legendary DJ’s Sunday Love Songs present, which he had been presenting on the channel since 1996, previous to his ‘very sudden’ loss of life earlier this week.
One BBC star informed MailOn-line that Steve had been ‘speaking to Radio 2 bosses simply two or three days in the past’ they usually have been conscious he was ‘struggling along with his well being a bit however nothing that appeared this severe’.
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Wright seen in a current picture from when he was out strolling in central London
Steve Wright, who has died on the age of 69, pictured in his recording studio in 1994
The DJ, seen in 2003, was made an MBE for companies to radio
Gambaccini informed The Telegraph: ‘I final spoke to him on Saturday. I had no concept that he was unwell. He talked about to me that he’d had medical doctors’ appointments however that doesn’t switch to being fatally sick so I used to be fully shocked, in addition to saddened, by this devastating information.’
Another BBC star additionally revealed Wright’s loss of life was seen as ‘very, very sudden’ by colleagues, as he was in contact with bosses on the station inside simply the previous few days.
They informed the Mail: ‘Steve had been speaking to Radio 2 bosses simply two or three days in the past… we have been conscious he was struggling along with his well being a bit however nothing that appeared this severe.
‘It has come as an enormous shock. Nobody can imagine it. He was participating along with his colleagues so just lately. It does not appear in any respect actual.’
The Radio 2 spin-off will present ‘a particular tackle pop nostalgia’ from the Fifties, Nineteen Sixties and Nineteen Seventies, the BBC mentioned
It will make use of ‘a number of the individuals who formed the cultural panorama on the time’ together with present presenters.
The BBC added that it’ll ‘carry heritage artist catalogues and tales to life in a a lot deeper and extra richly textured method than the primary mixed-genre Radio 2 schedule can permit’.
The company mentioned: ‘[It will] carry heritage artist catalogues and tales to life in a a lot deeper and extra richly textured method than the primary mixed-genre Radio 2 schedule can permit.’
The announcement of the radio shake up got here as current viewers figures revealed that Radio 2 has continued to shed listeners since Ken Bruce’s shock departure final yr after three many years.
It got here after a string of older presenters both left the station or have been sidelined. Steve Wright was changed by the youthful Scott Mills.
The listeners who’ve stop Radio 2 are thought to have defected to stations corresponding to Greatest Hits Radio and Boom Radio. Bruce’s present on Greatest Hits Radio boasts 3.8million listeners every week.
The legendary broadcaster introduced Steve Wright within the Afternoon for 12 years on Radio 1 and an extra 23 years on Radio 2. He is pictured in 1980
Wright in a photograph taken in 1995
Wright with Bunny Campione at an occasion at Hamleys Toy Store in London on October 24, 2004
The DJ was married to Cyndi Robinson till they divorced in 1999. They are pictured on their wedding ceremony day
But the BBC has been accused by trade physique Radiocentre of attempting to ‘straight imitate’ the success of its rivals and known as on Ofcom to reject the plans.
It mentioned the BBC was ‘failing to offer distinct public worth’.
Steve joined BBC Radio 1 in 1980 to host a Saturday night present earlier than transferring on to host Steve Wright In The Afternoon a yr later till 1993.
Wright then fronted the Radio 1 Breakfast present for a yr till 1995, and accomplished a stint at industrial radio stations earlier than returning to BBC Radio 2 in 1996 to host Steve Wright’s Saturday Show and Sunday Love Songs.
In 1999, he recreated Steve Wright In The Afternoon each weekday on Radio 2, with movie star interviews and entertaining trivia featured in his Factoids section, earlier than stepping down in September 2022.
Former BBC Radio 1 host Scott Mills took over the afternoon slot as a part of the station’s schedule shake-up.
Wright continued to current Sunday Love Songs on BBC Radio 2 and since October final yr, he introduced the long-running present Pick Of The Pops, which had beforehand been fronted by Paul Gambaccini.
Earlier this morning BBC Radio 2 was ‘inundated’ with messages paying tribute to Steve within the first morning present since his loss of life aged 69.
The channel was overwhelmed with calls on Wednesday from ‘devastated’ listeners who revealed how the ‘type, humorous, humble and loveable’ star put a smile on their faces every week.
Fans shared their heartfelt recollections with a teary Nicki Chapman whereas she sat in for Zoe Ball, who was absent for unknown causes, in a particular BBC breakfast present devoted to the beloved broadcaster.
The ‘one in 1,000,000’ radio presenter was adored by generations of households throughout the UK, with some saying he ‘was like a pal’ and others expressing how they’re struggling to return to phrases along with his loss of life.
Nicki began the present by saying: ‘It is so troublesome to sum up what Steve meant to all of us. The devastatingly unhappy information has come as a whole shock.
‘Everyone appears to have such fond recollections of our Wrighty as a result of that is how we considered and that is how we listened to him.
‘He was ours. He was our mate, speaking to us in our kitchens as we made a brew, in our bedrooms, within the bathe, in our automobiles, taxis, lorries, in our kind rooms in school, in our gardens, at work – he was all the time in our hearts.’
She added: ‘It is a troublesome day, it’s a troublesome day for all of us however we’re doing him justice.’
Nicki then started studying out texts from followers and went on to play a number of the legendary DJ’s favorite songs together with hits from Bill Withers and Robbie Williams.
One listener who texted in to the breakfast present mentioned: ‘Steve all the time saved me good firm. He made me smile as he sang alongside to all of the songs with out a care. It appears like I’ve misplaced a pal and I’m going to overlook him a lot.’
Another added: ‘Good morning Nicki I had the superb expertise of being a visitor presenter on Steve’s present in 2016 because of a Children In Need competitors.
‘It was across the time of my fiftieth birthday celebration and it was all my Christmases and Birthdays come without delay.
‘In individual he was the type, humorous, humble and loveable individual I had listened to over the airwaves for all my life however I’m heartbroken.’
A 3rd mentioned: ‘Steve was the soundtrack of my life, my dad and mom listened to him, my grandparents listened to him. Steve was all the time so heat’, mentioned one fan, whereas one other added: ‘He’s been a part of my life since I used to be a young person within the early 80s’.
‘I’m completely damaged to listen to about Steve. I met him years in the past and acquired his regular greeting of ‘Hello pal’, which began a beautiful dialog. He was a radio genius,’ mentioned one other fan.
