Radio 5 Live’s money saving expert Mickey Clark is latest victim of BBC cost-cutters after losing Wake Up To Money role – as fans blast broadcaster for ‘pushing him aside for younger audience’
- BBC radio presenters Mickey Clarke and Louise Cooper have been ‘sacked’
- The pair are popular hosts of Radio 5 Live morning show, Wake up to Money
- Clarke said he’d been sacked so that the BBC could ‘chase a younger audience’
Radio presenters Mickey Clarke and Louise Cooper have today been announced as the latest victims in the BBC’s stringent cost-cutting exercise.
Mr Clarke, who has been at the station since it started in 1994, and Ms Cooper, both work on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Wake Up To Money show.
The pair have now been axed, with Mr Clarke telling listeners today he’d been sacked because the BBC, ‘needs to chase a younger audience.’
Radio presenter Mickey Clarke told listeners today he’d been ‘sacked’ because the BBC, ‘needs to chase a younger audience.’
Cooper hosts the early morning business news programme alongside lead presenter Sean Farrington, pictured
The news lead to an outpouring of support, and anger, from fans on social media
The news sparked an outpouring of fury among fans of the show, who hit out at the BBC for axing the pair.
Cooper hosts the early morning business news programme alongside lead presenter Sean Farrington on Mondays and Tuesdays and Clarke joins him for the remainder of the week.
Farrington told listeners today: ‘Before we crack on with the rest of the show, we’ve got a bit of news about us on Wake Up To Money.
‘Next week will be the last time Louise and Mickey will be on the shows.
‘It’s part of a series of changes that you may have seen or heard that were announced lately to help Five 5 and BBC news reach new savings targets so that’s the reasoning behind it. I don’t need to say how much they will be missed.’
He told Clarke there would be a ‘little bit of fuss’ on his last shift next week, with Clarke joking, ‘that sounds ominous.’
Clarke added: ‘You’ve worked in this game all those years, getting the sack is an occupational hazard; its not the first time, hopefully it will be the last.
‘But you know if the BBC does need to chase a younger audience they don’t want coffin dodgers like me blocking the room.’
Adrian Chiles was one of the first presenters of the popular early morning business programme
The show will continue to air on Radio 5 and will be extended by 15 minutes, starting at 5am from April.
Sean Farrington will present the show solo from March.
The BBC has been contacted for comment.