Ken Bruce effect? Legendary DJ helps attract tens of thousands more listeners to Greatest Hits Radio after bosses poached him from BBC Radio Two

They poached him after he was the voice of BBC Radio 2 for the best part of 40 years.

And now the gamble on Ken Bruce is clearly paying off as Greatest Hits Radio listeners are up by 30 per cent.

As new RAJAR radio listening figures were released on Wednesday, it was revealed Greatest Hit’s Radio listeners have increased from 578,000 to 752,000 since last years 2023 report.

In the last five years, Greatest Hits has poached three popular members of staff from BBC Radio 2.

In 2020 Simon Mayo, 65, joined Greatest Hits Radio after 17 years at the BBC to host his now famous Album Show every Sunday at 1pm, before also returning to daily radio and The Simon Mayo Drivetime Show in March 2021.

In 2020 Simon Mayo, 65, joined Greatest Hits Radio after 17 years at the BBC to host his now famous Album Show every Sunday at 1pm, before also returning to daily radio and The Simon Mayo Drivetime Show in March 2021

Paul Gambaccini, 75, was presenter of Pick of the Pops on BBC Radio 2 from July 2016 to October 2023.

During that BBC stint he was poached by Greatest Hits Radio to present America’s Greatest Hits on Greatest Hits Radio on Saturday afternoons since February 2020.

He still presents the Paul Gambaccini Collection on Radio 2, which began on 29 October 2023.

Mr Bruce, 73, spent 39 years at BBC Radio 2 and controversially left to go to Greatest Hits last year.

He was best known for presenting his mid-morning show from 1986 to 1990 and again from 1992 to 2023.

In September last year he said he made the decision to leave for the rival station because he felt it was ‘time for a change’.

He revealed that he disliked some of the music he was forced to play, admitting he had started to feel ‘bitter and entrenched’.

King of the airwaves: Paul Gambuccini, 75, posing with Sir Elton John, was presenter of Pick of the Pops on BBC Radio 2 from July 2016 to October 2023. He now presents America’s Greatest Hits on Greatest Hits Radio, as well as the Paul Gambaccini Collection on Radio 2

In May, Rajars listening figures revealed BBC Radio 2 had lost more than a million listeners since Bruce had left.

Weekly audience figures for the BBC’s most popular radio service between January and March were down by 1.23 million from 14.46 million to 13.23 million – nearly 9 per cent – on the same period last year.