BBC broadcaster Johnnie Walker steps down from radio shows with ‘sad announcement’

Veteran broadcaster Johnnie Walker has announced he will be giving his final broadcast later this month.

He announced the “sad announcement” in an emotional statement on Sunday, where he explained he’d be stepping down from hosting duties for his Radio 2 and BBC Sounds shows, Sounds of the 70s and The Rock Show.

During his Sounds of the 70s show on Sunday, he confirmed the era-ending news.

It came after he read a letter from a loyal fan who shared how their late father had loved listening to the presenter before he died of pulmonary fibrosis in 2022.

The touching message prompted Walker, who suffers with the same condition, to announce the update.

“Now, that leads me to be making a very sad announcement,” he began, continuing: “The struggles I’ve had with doing the show and trying to sort of keep up a professional standard suitable for Radio 2 has been getting more and more difficult, hence my little jokes about Puffing Billy, so I’ve had to make the decision that I need to bring my career to an end after 58 years, and so I’ll be doing my last Sounds of the 70s on the 27th of October.”

Assuring fans he planned to end on a high, he added: “So I’ll make the last three shows as good as I possibly can.

More to follow…