The result of BBC bosses decreeing Simon Mayo and Jo Whiley should be a double act?

Ask anybody in broadcasting and they’ll tell you that a hugely popular show, with impressive audience figures, fronted by a much-loved big name who isn’t a diva sounds like the impossible dream.

And yet, for eight years, that’s exactly what BBC Radio 2 had with their Drivetime show hosted by Simon Mayo — as popular with the A-list celebrity guests as he was with his six million listeners.

But yesterday, following five months of in-fighting, Mayo announced his resignation from Radio 2.

Those in the know say it had only been a matter of time after the BBC, a corporation obsessed with political correctness, foisted a female co-presenter on him in a clumsy bid to redress gender inequality.

And it doesn’t help that James Purnell — the former Labour politician who is now Director of Radio — doesn’t seem to care about the listeners and is more interested in driving digital traffic.

Mayo was typically polite and gracious when he took to Twitter to tell his 255,000 followers that he wished to focus more on writing.

But the truth is that, committed Christian though he is, it would have taken the patience of a saint for him to continue working at Radio 2.


He had admitted he found it ‘difficult and upsetting’ when producers decided to scrap the afternoon show he anchored alone and parachute in Jo Whiley to present alongside him, scrapping her evening show in the process.

Certainly, a sense of wounded feelings was in evidence in Mayo’s precisely phrased Twitter statements which he used to announce his exit yesterday.

In the nicest possible way he made it clear that he was leaving because his dream job had unexpectedly turned into an nightmare which he simply could no longer see through.

‘So. A few things to say. Very sadly, I have decided to move on from Radio 2,’ he said. ‘Sad to leave the show, sad to leave Jo, sad to leave Wogan House (I thought I’d be dragged out aged 120). But circumstances change . . .

‘Juggling my writing and radio has become increasingly tricky (a nice problem to have). I’ve just signed a new two-book deal with the nice folk at Transworld and they’ll be expecting something half decent before too long . . .’

His statement continued: ‘I know, I know, I’m as surprised at this turn of events as you. But at my grand old age to be setting off on these brand new trails is enormous fun.

‘And all the more so for being so unexpected. There are, however, only so many hours in a day. I’ll continue with the (flagship) film show on 5Live with Mark Kermode and, beyond that, other radio adventures beckon!