Vernon Kay is set to make a big move away from his BBC Radio 2 morning show later this year – after facing backlash from Ken Bruce fans for taking over the hosting role
Vernon Kay has firmly established himself as the host of a weekday morning show on BBC Radio 2, despite initial controversy surrounding his appointment. The 50 year old star took over from radio icon Ken Bruce in May last year, facing backlash from Ken’s fans and losing 1.3 million listeners in the process, reports OK!.
Ken, 73, had previously announced he was stepping down from his mid-morning show after a 31-year stint, moving to Greatest Hits Radio. This sparked negative comments, with Ken’s fans claiming Vernon was too young for the role. “It’s the best trolling I’ve ever had,” he confessed at the time. However, earlier this year, Vernon revealed a significant career shift away from Radio 2, as he’s set to return to the British stage playing Wishee Washee in the Wycombe Swan’s production of Aladdin.
This follows his panto debut in Cinderella in 2022, where he scooped the Best Panto Newcomer award at the UK Pantomime Awards for his portrayal of Dandini. Vernon has the full support of his wife Tess Daly and their daughters for the show, which promises “a dazzling brand-new digital set using LED screens with animated scenes and mesmerising effects plus all of the usual ingredients you would expect to see for a truly memorable pantomime.”
Vernon announced: “Yep, they’ll be coming along. I think the last time I did it, the kids were there every other show.”
He also shared how involved his family got previously, saying: “Our eldest daughter knew the words better than me! She came out socialising with the cast and all that kind of stuff, and that was really good.”
Vernon revealed the decision to return to panto was a group choice, stating: “And that’s one of the main reasons why I’m coming back and doing it again, because we had a big family meeting and I said, ‘What do you think about panto? ‘ And it was unanimous, all the kids and Tess were like, ‘Yep, you’ve got to do it’.”
In a statement for the show, Vernon added: “The Master of the dad Joke is back! I’m so excited to be returning to the Wycombe Swan, my local theatre, in Aladdin this year. It’s a fantastic story, an absolute classic. I’m looking forward to getting back on stage for all the panto madness. Great song and dance, lots of audience interaction and amazing slapstick. Expect a whole lot of high paced, high tempo full of energy and blink and you miss it action. I’ll see you there! “.
