Ken Bruce
Encyclopedia
Kenneth Robertson Bruce (born 2 February 1951 in Glasgow
, Scotland
) is a British
broadcaster known for his programme on BBC Radio 2
, which is broadcast on weekdays from 9:30am until 12 noon.
, Glasgow
, before training to be a chartered accountant
. He began his broadcasting career with the Hospital Broadcasting Service in Glasgow
.
He then went on to become a staff announcer for BBC Radio 4 Scotland and then BBC Radio Scotland
when it fully went on air in 1978. He also presented a Saturday morning show for the station.
In 1980 he took on the mid-morning slot then in 1983 the own daily afternoon show and was involved in a range of current affairs programmes. He presented the Ken Bruce Show on the BBC World Service
in the late 1980s.
. He first joined in 1982, as a stand in presenter, mainly covering Ray Moore
on the Early show, as well as presenting shows on BBC Radio Scotland
on a line from studios in London.
Bruce took over a regular show on Radio 2 in 1984, taking over Saturday late night show from 11 pm-1 am. He would do this in addition to his show on BBC Radio Scotland
.
In January 1985, he took over the breakfast show from Terry Wogan
from 8:00-10:30 am. He originally took over mid-mornings in March 1986 but moved to Monday-Thursday late night in April 1990. In January 1991 Bruce presented the early-morning show. He has been in his mid-morning slot since early 1992, following Terry Wogan
. He now follows Chris Evans at 9:30am and handing over to Jeremy Vine
at noon.
He has been BBC Radio 2's commentator for the Eurovision Song Contest since 1988.
and dedications feature at 10:15 am. A music news slot with either Julie Cullen or Matt Everett (alternating weeks) appears at about 11:10am on Thursdays. Other regular features include the Record of the Week and the Album of the Week and the Tracks of My Years, where a celebrity picks two songs each day that have a particular meaning. The Love Song is played at 10:15am each day, preceded by dedications, although a number of songs in the rotation are not love songs in a romantic sense (e.g. "At Seventeen" by Janis Ian
, "The Greatest Love Of All" by George Benson
).
The show also includes the daily quiz, PopMaster
. It previously included a number of other competitions such as Spin It to Win It and Words Don't Come Easily, although these were dropped in 2007 when the BBC carried out an internal enquiry into possible abuse of phone-ins (despite no allegation of impropriety against Radio 2). PopMaster
quiz returned to Bruce's show in January 2008 with new jingles and a modified selection procedure where listeners had to register first and if successful the production team call back to ask three questions. However the selection procedure has now reverted to would-be participants telephoning the station between 9 am 10am and being entered into a random draw.
Bruce maintains a bantering relationship with the traffic presenter, typically Lynn Bowles
, the two teasing each other and responding to listeners' comments. Such comments are read throughout the programme, generally on a theme of the day, such as a news story. Recurring themes include the appearance of Bruce on the studio webcam
, Lynn Bowles' involvement with Land Rover
and the information included on this Wikipedia
profile, with contributors highlighting alterations that have been made; on occasions according to this page, he has become a Knight of the Realm, had a significant number of children, is of limited stature, received an inflated salary and loves caravanning. This cycle of spurious edits being discussed on air has caused the page to be locked due to vandalism on numerous occasions.
Although the programme's playlist is almost exclusively rock
, pop
and soul
from the 1970s onwards, until early 2008 its Radio Data System
flag identified it as programme type 12, "M.O.R.". It is now identified as programme type 10, "Pop music
".
On 3 August 2006, it was announced that Ken Bruce had added 245,000 listeners, bringing his overall ratings to a record 6.64 million.
Frequent stand-in presenters when Bruce is absent have included Richard Allinson
, Simon Mayo
and Aled Jones
. Zoe Ball
now appears to be Bruce's regular stand-in, having covered the show during his holiday in April 2009, when Bruce was in Moscow
for the Eurovision Song Contest 2009
and again in August 2009. The comedian and impressionist Rob Brydon
, who is noted for his characterisation of Bruce, sat in for him on 25 August 2008 and again on 1 April 2011 when Brydon impersonated Bruce throughout. Bruce took his first day off sick in 23 years on Wednesday 10 September 2008. On that occasion the show was presented by Richard Allinson.
, offers a DAB
radio for successfully completing the "3 in 10" bonus round. If the listener fails, they are awarded an MP3 player (replacing the previous consolation prize of a 'Flipper' radio). An earlier consolation prize, a 'Space' radio, has been known to appear on eBay
, to Bruce's amusement. The losing contestant is given a CD wallet.
The public phone-in PopMaster quiz was last aired, prior to its suspension, on 18 July 2007. A celebrity version was introduced on 20 July 2007, and continued until 18 January 2008. "3 in 10" was not played in the celebrity version and there was no tie-breaker in the event of a draw. It was rumoured that members of the public would be able to play again before Christmas 2007, however this did not happen. Following an announcement by Bruce on 7 January 2008, the normal format returned on 21 January 2008. The game returned with new dramatic, orchestral and guitar based jingles.
. This attracted more than 150 complaints from listeners.
During his show on 21 April 2008, theatre producer Bill Kenwright
told Bruce that Elvis Presley
once visited London
in 1958 and was taken on a tour of the city by Tommy Steele
. It was believed that Presley had never visited England
and the claim caused considerable controversy.
In November 2008, there were several newspaper reports that Bruce would be replaced in the Radio 2 mid-morning slot by fellow DJ (and sometime stand-in for Bruce) Simon Mayo
in 2011. This prompted Daily Mail
columnist Richard Littlejohn to call for a campaign to have the decision reversed, to “save him for the nation”. The BBC did not comment on whether there was any truth in the rumour, other than to highlight that Bruce had recently signed a new contract to remain at the station for another 2 years.
In December 2008, a crew of fishermen were listening to Bruce's programme and were inadvertently relaying it to every ship and coastguard station for miles around. It was not possible to contact the vessel, so a request was made to Bruce and duly said: "If you are on a ship near the Small rocks, please turn me off."
Also at the end of 2008, duetting with Steve Wright's 'Ask Elvis', Bruce recorded a version of the Andy Stewart
song “Donald, Where’s yer Troosers?” for the Bandaged CD created to raise money for the charity BBC Children in Need. This has now been released as a download for BBC Children in Need.
In December 2008, Ken was officially inducted into the Radio Academy Hall of Fame.
On April Fools' Day
2011, Bruce's radio show was presented by comedian Rob Brydon
impersonating Bruce throughout. Brydon interviewed "Sir Terry Wogan
" (impersonated by Peter Serafinowicz
), and Bruce himself appeared at the end of the show as his "brother Kenn with two Ns".
, also presenting the Eurovision Song Contest Previews
from 1989-1991 on BBC1. He is one of the regular presenters of the long-running Friday Night is Music Night
.
He occasionally makes appearances in the "Dictionary Corner" on Channel 4
's Countdown
, the latest being during the week of 11 April 2011. When the original presenter Richard Whiteley
died in 2005, Bruce said: "[he was] such a nice man - that was the defining quality of him, a genuinely nice man. And he had no real ego."
In November 2007, he appeared on a Never Mind the Buzzcocks
special for Children in Need
.
Bruce holds a Passenger Carrying Vehicle (PCV) driving licence and is the co-owner of a Routemaster
(one of London
's red buses) with Charles Nove
, Alan Dedicoat
, Steve Madden and David Sheppard
. He has referred to the buses as "a fantastic piece of engineering and such fun to have".
Along with Lynn Bowles
, he took part in Ready, Steady, Cook, broadcast on BBC Two
on 3 March 2008.
. One of Ken's sons is autistic and Ken is an active charity campaigner for autism. When driving his family in his car, he allows his dog to sit in the front passenger seat, while his wife and children are confined to the back.
In April 2006, The Daily Telegraph
reported that Bruce received a salary of £194,000 for his radio show.
Bruce is a fan of Rangers F.C.
, and occasionally remarks on their fortunes during his show.
He was described as an "old fool" by ex Radio 2 presenter Sarah Kennedy
in 1999. Some nine years later, in October 2008, he retaliated by saying the Fleetwood Mac
song "Sara" was written about Kennedy in 1926.
His autobiography was published on 4 September 2009, entitled The Tracks of My Years: The Autobiography.
On air, he frequently claims to be a drummer
, but is unknown if this is true or what level of success he has achieved.
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
) is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
broadcaster known for his programme on BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
, which is broadcast on weekdays from 9:30am until 12 noon.
Early life and career
Bruce attended Hutchesons' Grammar SchoolHutchesons' Grammar School
Hutchesons' Grammar School is a co-educational independent school in the southside of Glasgow, Scotland. It was founded by the brothers George Hutcheson and Thomas Hutcheson in 1641 and was opened originally to teach orphans, starting with "twelve male children, indigent orphans".In 1876 a girls'...
, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, before training to be a chartered accountant
Chartered Accountant
Chartered Accountants were the first accountants to form a professional body, initially established in Britain in 1854. The Edinburgh Society of Accountants , the Glasgow Institute of Accountants and Actuaries and the Aberdeen Society of Accountants were each granted a royal charter almost from...
. He began his broadcasting career with the Hospital Broadcasting Service in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
.
He then went on to become a staff announcer for BBC Radio 4 Scotland and then BBC Radio Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland is BBC Scotland's national English-language radio network. It broadcasts a wide variety of programming, including news, sport, light entertainment, music, the arts, comedy, drama, history and lifestyle...
when it fully went on air in 1978. He also presented a Saturday morning show for the station.
In 1980 he took on the mid-morning slot then in 1983 the own daily afternoon show and was involved in a range of current affairs programmes. He presented the Ken Bruce Show on the BBC World Service
BBC World Service
The BBC World Service is the world's largest international broadcaster, broadcasting in 27 languages to many parts of the world via analogue and digital shortwave, internet streaming and podcasting, satellite, FM and MW relays...
in the late 1980s.
History
Bruce has presented different shows on BBC Radio 2BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
. He first joined in 1982, as a stand in presenter, mainly covering Ray Moore
Ray Moore
Ray Moore may refer to:*Ray Moore , comic strip artist and co-creator of The Phantom*Ray Moore , British broadcaster*Raymond Moore , former South African tennis player...
on the Early show, as well as presenting shows on BBC Radio Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland is BBC Scotland's national English-language radio network. It broadcasts a wide variety of programming, including news, sport, light entertainment, music, the arts, comedy, drama, history and lifestyle...
on a line from studios in London.
Bruce took over a regular show on Radio 2 in 1984, taking over Saturday late night show from 11 pm-1 am. He would do this in addition to his show on BBC Radio Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland is BBC Scotland's national English-language radio network. It broadcasts a wide variety of programming, including news, sport, light entertainment, music, the arts, comedy, drama, history and lifestyle...
.
In January 1985, he took over the breakfast show from Terry Wogan
Terry Wogan
Sir Michael Terence Wogan, KBE, DL , or also known as Terry Wogan, is a veteran Irish radio and television broadcaster who holds dual Irish and British citizenship. Wogan has worked for the BBC in the United Kingdom for most of his career...
from 8:00-10:30 am. He originally took over mid-mornings in March 1986 but moved to Monday-Thursday late night in April 1990. In January 1991 Bruce presented the early-morning show. He has been in his mid-morning slot since early 1992, following Terry Wogan
Terry Wogan
Sir Michael Terence Wogan, KBE, DL , or also known as Terry Wogan, is a veteran Irish radio and television broadcaster who holds dual Irish and British citizenship. Wogan has worked for the BBC in the United Kingdom for most of his career...
. He now follows Chris Evans at 9:30am and handing over to Jeremy Vine
Jeremy Vine
Jeremy Guy Vine is a British author, journalist and news presenter for the BBC. He is known for his direct interview style and exclusive reporting from war-torn areas throughout Africa...
at noon.
He has been BBC Radio 2's commentator for the Eurovision Song Contest since 1988.
Programme format and features
The emphasis on Bruce's show is music. There are regular live performances on air. Competitions are usually music-based and a love songLove song
A love song is about falling in love and the feelings it brings. Anthologies of love songs often contain a mixture of both of these types of song. A bawdy song is both humorous and saucy, emphasizing the physical pleasure of love rather than the emotional joy...
and dedications feature at 10:15 am. A music news slot with either Julie Cullen or Matt Everett (alternating weeks) appears at about 11:10am on Thursdays. Other regular features include the Record of the Week and the Album of the Week and the Tracks of My Years, where a celebrity picks two songs each day that have a particular meaning. The Love Song is played at 10:15am each day, preceded by dedications, although a number of songs in the rotation are not love songs in a romantic sense (e.g. "At Seventeen" by Janis Ian
Janis Ian
Janis Ian is an American songwriter, singer, musician, columnist, and science fiction author. Ian first entered the folk music scene while still a teenager in the mid-sixties; most active musically in that decade and the 1970s, she has continued recording into the 21st century...
, "The Greatest Love Of All" by George Benson
George Benson
George Benson is a ten Grammy Award winning American musician, whose production career began at the age of twenty-one as a jazz guitarist....
).
The show also includes the daily quiz, PopMaster
PopMaster
PopMaster is a popular music quiz on the Ken Bruce Show on BBC Radio 2. It usually takes place at around 10:30 a.m. on weekday mornings.-Structure:...
. It previously included a number of other competitions such as Spin It to Win It and Words Don't Come Easily, although these were dropped in 2007 when the BBC carried out an internal enquiry into possible abuse of phone-ins (despite no allegation of impropriety against Radio 2). PopMaster
PopMaster
PopMaster is a popular music quiz on the Ken Bruce Show on BBC Radio 2. It usually takes place at around 10:30 a.m. on weekday mornings.-Structure:...
quiz returned to Bruce's show in January 2008 with new jingles and a modified selection procedure where listeners had to register first and if successful the production team call back to ask three questions. However the selection procedure has now reverted to would-be participants telephoning the station between 9 am 10am and being entered into a random draw.
Bruce maintains a bantering relationship with the traffic presenter, typically Lynn Bowles
Lynn Bowles
Lynn M. Bowles is a British radio traffic reporter and can currently be heard relaying the latest traffic news on a half hourly basis on the BBC Radio 2 morning shows presented by Chris Evans and Ken Bruce.-Early life:...
, the two teasing each other and responding to listeners' comments. Such comments are read throughout the programme, generally on a theme of the day, such as a news story. Recurring themes include the appearance of Bruce on the studio webcam
Webcam
A webcam is a video camera that feeds its images in real time to a computer or computer network, often via USB, ethernet, or Wi-Fi.Their most popular use is the establishment of video links, permitting computers to act as videophones or videoconference stations. This common use as a video camera...
, Lynn Bowles' involvement with Land Rover
Land Rover
Land Rover is a British car manufacturer with its headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire, United Kingdom which specialises in four-wheel-drive vehicles. It is owned by the Indian company Tata Motors, forming part of their Jaguar Land Rover group...
and the information included on this Wikipedia
Wikipedia
Wikipedia is a free, web-based, collaborative, multilingual encyclopedia project supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. Its 20 million articles have been written collaboratively by volunteers around the world. Almost all of its articles can be edited by anyone with access to the site,...
profile, with contributors highlighting alterations that have been made; on occasions according to this page, he has become a Knight of the Realm, had a significant number of children, is of limited stature, received an inflated salary and loves caravanning. This cycle of spurious edits being discussed on air has caused the page to be locked due to vandalism on numerous occasions.
Although the programme's playlist is almost exclusively rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
from the 1970s onwards, until early 2008 its Radio Data System
Radio Data System
Radio Data System, or RDS, is a communications protocol standard for embedding small amounts of digital information in conventional FM radio broadcasts. RDS standardises several types of information transmitted, including time, station identification and programme information.Radio Broadcast Data...
flag identified it as programme type 12, "M.O.R.". It is now identified as programme type 10, "Pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
".
On 3 August 2006, it was announced that Ken Bruce had added 245,000 listeners, bringing his overall ratings to a record 6.64 million.
Frequent stand-in presenters when Bruce is absent have included Richard Allinson
Richard Allinson
Richard John McNeill Allinson is a British broadcaster. He started his broadcasting with a 3-year stint at Bailrigg FM, known at that time as University Radio Bailrigg ,whilst undertaking college courses at Lancaster University Management School. He was firstly Treasurer and then became President...
, Simon Mayo
Simon Mayo
Simon Mayo is an English radio presenter who has worked for BBC Radio since 1981. As of January 2010, Mayo is presenter of Simon Mayo Drivetime on BBC Radio 2 and, with Mark Kermode, presenter of Kermode and Mayo's Film Reviews on BBC Radio 5 Live.In 2008, Mayo was recognised as the "radio...
and Aled Jones
Aled Jones
Aled Jones is a Welsh singer and television/radio personality, broadcaster and television presenter who first came to fame as a treble...
. Zoe Ball
Zoë Ball
Zoë Louise Ball is an English television and radio personality, most famous for becoming the first female host of the BBC Radio 1 breakfast show and for her earlier work presenting the 1990s children's show, Live & Kicking.-TV career:The daughter of the children's TV presenter Johnny Ball and his...
now appears to be Bruce's regular stand-in, having covered the show during his holiday in April 2009, when Bruce was in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
for the Eurovision Song Contest 2009
Eurovision Song Contest 2009
The Eurovision Song Contest 2009 was the 54th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest and was hosted by Russia after their win in 2008. It took place between 12 and 16 May 2009 at the Olympic Indoor Arena in Moscow, Russia....
and again in August 2009. The comedian and impressionist Rob Brydon
Rob Brydon
Rob Brydon is a BAFTA-nominated Welsh actor, comedian, radio and television presenter, singer and impressionist...
, who is noted for his characterisation of Bruce, sat in for him on 25 August 2008 and again on 1 April 2011 when Brydon impersonated Bruce throughout. Bruce took his first day off sick in 23 years on Wednesday 10 September 2008. On that occasion the show was presented by Richard Allinson.
PopMaster
Normally, the daily PopMaster quiz, with questions set by music expert Phil SwernPhil Swern
Phil Swern is an English radio producer and music collector. He was formerly a record producer and songwriter, plus he has also written for television. He currently produces Pick of the Pops and Sounds of the 60s and formerly produced the Bob Harris Show for BBC Radio 2...
, offers a DAB
Digital audio broadcasting
Digital Audio Broadcasting is a digital radio technology for broadcasting radio stations, used in several countries, particularly in Europe. As of 2006, approximately 1,000 stations worldwide broadcast in the DAB format....
radio for successfully completing the "3 in 10" bonus round. If the listener fails, they are awarded an MP3 player (replacing the previous consolation prize of a 'Flipper' radio). An earlier consolation prize, a 'Space' radio, has been known to appear on eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
, to Bruce's amusement. The losing contestant is given a CD wallet.
The public phone-in PopMaster quiz was last aired, prior to its suspension, on 18 July 2007. A celebrity version was introduced on 20 July 2007, and continued until 18 January 2008. "3 in 10" was not played in the celebrity version and there was no tie-breaker in the event of a draw. It was rumoured that members of the public would be able to play again before Christmas 2007, however this did not happen. Following an announcement by Bruce on 7 January 2008, the normal format returned on 21 January 2008. The game returned with new dramatic, orchestral and guitar based jingles.
Notable events
While Bruce was on holiday in August 2007, he was briefly replaced by Davina McCallDavina McCall
Davina McCall is an English television presenter and actress, most notable as the presenter of the UK version of Big Brother up until its move to Channel 5.- Early life :...
. This attracted more than 150 complaints from listeners.
During his show on 21 April 2008, theatre producer Bill Kenwright
Bill Kenwright
Bill Kenwright CBE is a leading West End theatre producer and film producer.He is also the Chairman of Everton Football Club, an English professional football club from the city of Liverpool....
told Bruce that Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
once visited London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1958 and was taken on a tour of the city by Tommy Steele
Tommy Steele
Tommy Steele OBE , is an English entertainer. Steele is widely regarded as Britain's first teen idol and rock and roll star.-Singer:...
. It was believed that Presley had never visited England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and the claim caused considerable controversy.
In November 2008, there were several newspaper reports that Bruce would be replaced in the Radio 2 mid-morning slot by fellow DJ (and sometime stand-in for Bruce) Simon Mayo
Simon Mayo
Simon Mayo is an English radio presenter who has worked for BBC Radio since 1981. As of January 2010, Mayo is presenter of Simon Mayo Drivetime on BBC Radio 2 and, with Mark Kermode, presenter of Kermode and Mayo's Film Reviews on BBC Radio 5 Live.In 2008, Mayo was recognised as the "radio...
in 2011. This prompted Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
columnist Richard Littlejohn to call for a campaign to have the decision reversed, to “save him for the nation”. The BBC did not comment on whether there was any truth in the rumour, other than to highlight that Bruce had recently signed a new contract to remain at the station for another 2 years.
In December 2008, a crew of fishermen were listening to Bruce's programme and were inadvertently relaying it to every ship and coastguard station for miles around. It was not possible to contact the vessel, so a request was made to Bruce and duly said: "If you are on a ship near the Small rocks, please turn me off."
Also at the end of 2008, duetting with Steve Wright's 'Ask Elvis', Bruce recorded a version of the Andy Stewart
Andy Stewart
Andy Stewart may refer to:*Andy Stewart , Scottish musician and entertainer*Andy Stewart , British MP for Sherwood, 1983–1992*Andy M...
song “Donald, Where’s yer Troosers?” for the Bandaged CD created to raise money for the charity BBC Children in Need. This has now been released as a download for BBC Children in Need.
In December 2008, Ken was officially inducted into the Radio Academy Hall of Fame.
On April Fools' Day
April Fools' Day
April Fools' Day is celebrated in different countries around the world on April 1 every year. Sometimes referred to as All Fools' Day, April 1 is not a national holiday, but is widely recognized and celebrated as a day when many people play all kinds of jokes and foolishness...
2011, Bruce's radio show was presented by comedian Rob Brydon
Rob Brydon
Rob Brydon is a BAFTA-nominated Welsh actor, comedian, radio and television presenter, singer and impressionist...
impersonating Bruce throughout. Brydon interviewed "Sir Terry Wogan
Terry Wogan
Sir Michael Terence Wogan, KBE, DL , or also known as Terry Wogan, is a veteran Irish radio and television broadcaster who holds dual Irish and British citizenship. Wogan has worked for the BBC in the United Kingdom for most of his career...
" (impersonated by Peter Serafinowicz
Peter Serafinowicz
Peter Szymon Serafinowicz is an English actor, comedian, writer, composer, voice artist and occasional director.-Early life:Serafinowicz was born in Liverpool, England. He attended Our Lady of the Assumption Roman Catholic Primary School and St Francis Xavier Secondary School...
), and Bruce himself appeared at the end of the show as his "brother Kenn with two Ns".
Other appearances
Ken Bruce has presented BBC Proms in the Park for numerous years. He is also Radio 2's regular commentator for the Eurovision Song ContestEurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
, also presenting the Eurovision Song Contest Previews
Eurovision Song Contest Previews
The Eurovision Song Contest Previews are annually broadcast TV shows showcasing the entries into the forthcoming Eurovision Song Contest. They were inaugurated in 1971 for the contest in Dublin, Ireland, and have been provided by the European Broadcasting Union to all participating countries ever...
from 1989-1991 on BBC1. He is one of the regular presenters of the long-running Friday Night is Music Night
Friday Night is Music Night
Friday Night is Music Night is a long running live BBC radio concert programme featuring the BBC Concert Orchestra, broadcast most Fridays on BBC Radio 2 at 8.00pm. It is the world's longest-running live music radio programme....
.
He occasionally makes appearances in the "Dictionary Corner" on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's Countdown
Countdown (game show)
Countdown is a British game show involving word and number puzzles. It is produced by ITV Studios and broadcast on Channel 4. It is presented by Jeff Stelling, assisted by Rachel Riley, with regular lexicographer Susie Dent. It was the first programme to be aired on Channel 4, and over sixty-five...
, the latest being during the week of 11 April 2011. When the original presenter Richard Whiteley
Richard Whiteley
John Richard Whiteley, OBE DL , usually known as Richard Whiteley, was an English broadcaster and journalist. He was famous for his twenty-three years as host of Countdown, a letters and numbers arrangement game show broadcast most weekdays on Channel 4...
died in 2005, Bruce said: "[he was] such a nice man - that was the defining quality of him, a genuinely nice man. And he had no real ego."
In November 2007, he appeared on a Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks is a comedy panel game television show with a pop music theme, currently without a permanent presenter. It stars Phill Jupitus and Noel Fielding as team captains. The show is produced by Talkback Thames for the BBC, and is usually aired on BBC Two...
special for Children in Need
Children in Need
Children in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million. The highlight of the Children in Need appeal is an annual telethon, held in November. A teddy bear named "Pudsey Bear" fronts the campaign, while Terry Wogan is a long...
.
Bruce holds a Passenger Carrying Vehicle (PCV) driving licence and is the co-owner of a Routemaster
Routemaster
The AEC Routemaster is a model of double-decker bus that was built by Associated Equipment Company in 1954 and produced until 1968. Primarily front-engined, rear open-platform buses, a small number of variants were produced with doors and/or front entrances...
(one of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's red buses) with Charles Nove
Charles Nove
Charles Alexis Nove born in London, is a long standing news and continuity voiceover announcer for BBC radio and television. In recent years he has provided holiday relief for BBC Radio 2 and what used to be Saga Radio in Scotland, and following John Marsh's retirement in February 2007 he became...
, Alan Dedicoat
Alan Dedicoat
Alan Dedicoat is an announcer and on various programmes on BBC One and BBC Radio 2; he is probably best known as the "Voice of the Balls" on the National Lottery programmes on BBC One. He also reads the news on BBC Radio 2 where he is nicknamed Deadly.-Early Life:He was born on 1 December 1954...
, Steve Madden and David Sheppard
David Sheppard (broadcaster)
David Thomas Sheppard is a presenter on BBC Local Radio.He is currently to be heard broadcasting on BBC Radio Devon's 'Shep and Jo Show' with Jo Loosemore each weekday afternoon 3 till 7.- Early life and career :...
. He has referred to the buses as "a fantastic piece of engineering and such fun to have".
Along with Lynn Bowles
Lynn Bowles
Lynn M. Bowles is a British radio traffic reporter and can currently be heard relaying the latest traffic news on a half hourly basis on the BBC Radio 2 morning shows presented by Chris Evans and Ken Bruce.-Early life:...
, he took part in Ready, Steady, Cook, broadcast on BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
on 3 March 2008.
Personal life
Bruce has four sons and two daughters, his latest son born in February 2008. He lives with his third wife in OxfordshireOxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
. One of Ken's sons is autistic and Ken is an active charity campaigner for autism. When driving his family in his car, he allows his dog to sit in the front passenger seat, while his wife and children are confined to the back.
In April 2006, The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
reported that Bruce received a salary of £194,000 for his radio show.
Bruce is a fan of Rangers F.C.
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
, and occasionally remarks on their fortunes during his show.
He was described as an "old fool" by ex Radio 2 presenter Sarah Kennedy
Sarah Kennedy
Sarah Mary Kennedy MBE is a British TV and radio broadcaster. She presented her own daily early morning radio show, The Dawn Patrol, on BBC Radio 2 from 1993, before announcing her decision to leave the show on 3 September, 2010.Kennedy was honoured in the Queen's Birthday Honours in 2005, when...
in 1999. Some nine years later, in October 2008, he retaliated by saying the Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
song "Sara" was written about Kennedy in 1926.
His autobiography was published on 4 September 2009, entitled The Tracks of My Years: The Autobiography.
On air, he frequently claims to be a drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
, but is unknown if this is true or what level of success he has achieved.