BBC Radio 2 DJ Johnnie Walker announces retirement from radio after 58 years

The DJ, 79, has been diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis and will be stepping down from his regular slots on the BBC station.

Veteran DJ Johnnie Walker has made the "very sad announcement" that he is retiring from radio after an illustrious 58-year career. On today's edition of Sounds Of The 70s on BBC Radio 2, the 79 year old informed his audience that he would be stepping down from the beloved Sunday afternoon show as well as The Rock Show.

He initiated his announcement by reading a letter from a listener whose father was a fan of the show but sadly passed away in 2022 due to pulmonary fibrosis, a condition Walker himself was diagnosed with earlier this year. Walker then shared with his listeners: "Now, that leads me to be making a very sad announcement."

He continued: "The struggles I’ve had with doing the show and trying to sort of keep up a professional standard suitable for Radio 2 has been getting more and more difficult, hence my little jokes about Puffing Billy, so I’ve had to make the decision that I need to bring my career to an end after 58 years.

"And so I’ll be doing my last Sounds Of The 70s on October 27, so I’ll make the last three shows as good as I possibly can."

Reflecting on a moment from the past, he added, "Now this week in 1978, the Rolling Stones were special guests on America’s Saturday Night Live TV show and they appeared in a couple of sketches and performed three tracks from their latest album, Some Girls."

He remarked: "Well, one of the tracks on the album seems quite suitable at the moment." Following this, he played the Rolling Stones’ 1978 hit Miss You, before revealing that his successor on the show would be none other than former Old Grey Whistle Test host Bob Harris.

The radio veteran Johnnie Walker has made a series of revealing announcements about his shows and future plans. He shared, "And by the way, I can also reveal not only my last Sounds Of The 70s, but the person taking over the show will be the one and only Bob Harris, so Bob Harris will be in charge of Sounds Of The 70s from November 3."

Earlier this year, Walker opened up about his diagnosis, stating that his condition is "terminal" and getting "progressively worse".

Despite the gravitas of his health situation, he acclaimed his radio shows for extending his life, mentioning he would "probably die a lot sooner" without them. Radio legend Bob Harris expressed his commitment to his new role: "I am proud and honoured to be taking over a BBC Radio 2 institution from a true broadcasting great."

He reminisced about his longstanding friendship with Johnnie since the times of Old Grey Whistle Test and vowed, "I will do everything I can to maintain his legacy and curate the programme with the very best music from that incredible decade."

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In another notable move, Shaun Keaveny is set to become the fresh voice of The Rock Show starting on November 1.

Walker is poised to host his last episode of The Rock Show on Friday, October 25, from 11pm to midnight while bidding farewell to Sounds Of The 70s on Sunday, October 27 between 3pm and 5pm. The Birmingham-born icon began his illustrious journey in radio back in 1966 at Swinging Radio England, an offshore pirate station, subsequently joining the ranks of the iconic Radio Caroline and cementing his status with a highly popular night-time broadcast.

After the station's closure, he joined BBC Radio 1 in 1969 and continued until 1976. He then relocated to San Francisco to record a weekly show which was broadcast on Radio Luxembourg.

In the early 1980s, he made his return to the BBC where he has remained ever since. Following the announcement, a special Sounds Of The 70s box-set collection on BBC Sounds will allow listeners to relive some of Walker’s best moments.

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