Ken Bruce: Get to know the Greatest Hits Radio presenter
Everything you need to know about the PopMaster himself!
Last updated 2nd Apr 2024
Here at Greatest Hits Radio, we are thrilled to have radio legend Ken Bruce as one of our presenters! Ken is in good company with the likes of Simon Mayo, Jackie Brambles, Martin Kemp, Jenny Powell and Kate Thornton, and we love that he is part of the Greatest Hits Radio family.
Ken's on Greatest Hits Radio weekdays from 10am-1pm, including PopMaster at 10:30 - it's the UK's biggest music quiz! Get to know our beloved presenter - that's Ken Bruce MBE, don't you know...
Who is Ken Bruce?
Ken Bruce is one of the UK's most listened-to radio presenters, with one of the most instantly recognisable, distinctive and - let's be honest - calming voices the country has ever known!
A lot of people ask whether Ken is related to Fiona Bruce - we can confirm this is not true!
When is his birthday?
Ken's birthday is 2nd February 1951.
Ken Bruce: Before radio
Despite having a long association with radio, working in radio was not Ken's first career path. Initially training as an accountant, Ken described himself as "truly terrible" in a Q&A with us.
"I was an accountant for a couple of years," he explained. "I was terrible at it, truly terrible. I was lazy and didn't do the classes and I went to the pub instead! But I didn't enjoy it. So I went off to wash cars for a few months and then I got a job with that company.
"They put me into the office and I eventually became a manager for all the time radio somewhere at the back of my mind, really wanted to do radio and eventually managed it."
How long has he been on the radio?
Ken revealed during his announcement that he's joining us here at Greatest Hits Radio that he's been on the air for 45 years - that's pretty spectacular!
After accountancy didn't pan out and he'd had his fill of washing cars, Ken then got a job on hospital radio, working for the Hospital Broadcasting Service in Glasgow. He's now a patron of Stoke Mandeville Hospital Radio, and said at his appointment: "Hospital radio remains an important part of patient care and welfare in the first part of the 21st century.
"Because it's personal, there's nothing quite the same or as good as hearing a friendly voice speaking directly to you in programmes tailored specifically for your situation.
"For that reason, Hospital Radio continues to thrive, thanks to the dedication and enthusiasm of its volunteers. And nowhere is doing a better job than Stoke Mandeville, which is why I am delighted to take on the role of patron."
He then secured a role at the BBC in 1978 - and the rest is history.
When did Ken Bruce join Greatest Hits Radio?
Ken joined Greatest Hits Radio on 3rd April 2023 - and we're so happy to have him! He's on air weekdays 10am-1pm, with PopMaster at 10:30 - the UK's biggest music quiz!
Does Ken do PopMaster on Greatest Hits Radio?
He certainly does - don't worry about that!
How to get in touch with Ken Bruce
Contact Ken at ken@greatesthitsradio.co.uk or text Ken + your message to 61054.
Simon Mayo reacts to Ken Bruce joining Greatest Hits Radio
Simon and Ken have known each other for many years, and Simon got involved with Ken's announcement about joining us here at Greatest Hits Radio on 3rd April 2023. Sharing various GIFs on his Twitter feed, Simon hilariously kept his followers guessing until the last minute!
There was also a recurring theme on Simon's 3 Words after the announcement was made, with Simon reading just a few of his favourites: "New Scottish Guy", "Is PopMaster coming" and "Ken Bruce legend" all made the cut!
Ken Bruce: Fun facts
Does Ken Bruce play the drums?
Ken is in fact a keen musician himself, playing drums in a cover band called No Direction who perform gigs in pubs and venues across Oxfordshire near his home. He told the Scottish Daily Mail in 2019: "We do two or three concerts a year. I don't sing, I don't do announcements or anything like that. It's a case of, 'Don't look at me, just let me do it'."
Ken's bus collection
Yep, seriously! Ken co-owns a selection of vintage buses, tweeting in 2016 that he had a collection of seven!
Did Ken win Mastermind?
He certainly did. Ken won Celebrity Mastermind back in December 2012, taking on TV presenter Sid Sloane, comedian Holly Walsh and 80s legend Paul Young, emerging victorious with his specialist subject being P.G. Wodehouse's Jeeves novels.
He has an autobiography
Ken released his autobiography, Tracks of my Years, in 2009. The official synopsis reads: 'From his childhood in 1950s Glasgow ... to his wilderness years as an accountant when he longed to achieve his dream, Tracks of My Years tells the story of Ken Bruce's remarkable career.
'Ken writes with insight into the world of radio and delivers lots of brilliant anecdotes from his interviews with celebrities. He also writes about bringing up his autistic son and – unusually – the happiness it brings him and his wife and the many positives of what is so often portrayed as a heartbreaking situation.'
Rob Brydon once secretly took over Ken Bruce's radio show
Listeners were fooled back on April Fool's Day in 2011 when actor and comedian Rob Brydon secretly portrayed Ken for his full two-hour show! Rob, who is a very talented impressionist, was able to carry off Ken's voice pretty well - but die-hard listeners could tell something was up.
At the time, Ken said: "It's been wonderful to be able to listen to the radio - tuning into someone entertaining in the morning for a change. I'm offering him a contract to share the honours on a regular basis."
While Rob added: "They were big shoes to fill but I loved the challenge of being Ken for the whole show. I'd seen Being John Malkovich and wanted to take it to the next level." He also opened up about impersonating Ken on This Morning in 2015.
Friendship with Terry Wogan
Ken was great friends with fellow radio legend Sir Terry Wogan, who sadly passed away in 2016. At the time of his death, Ken released an open letter to his friend, explaining how they'd worked "very happily together on a daily basis for nearly 20 years."
He continued: "I would count him as a good friend and a colleague. We never had a cross word in all that time. It was a very happy time throughout. Everybody in broadcasting today has learned from Terry Wogan - his greatest lesson was just to be yourself, which he always was.
"Terry was a life enhancer and I always felt better for being in his company. We had some tremendous laughs. He was absolutely himself at all times when he was broadcasting."
He has an MBE
That's right! Ken was among the people recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours list in June 2023, being made an MBE for his services to radio, autism awareness and to charity.
The exciting news was revealed on 16th June, with Ken describing receiving the MBE as a "great surprise and privilege." Opening up about the award, he spoke of his hopes that it would highlight the challenges facing autistic people following his son’s diagnosis.
Ken then received his medal in October, given by Princess Anne at Buckingham Palace.
Get to know all our Greatest Hits Radio presenters:
Ken Bruce
Greatest Hits Radio is the home of the legend that is Ken Bruce, weekdays 10am-1pm - including PopMaster, the UK's biggest music quiz for 25 years and counting.
Find out more about Ken and PopMaster.
Simon Mayo
Simon Mayo hosts Drivetime every weekday at 4pm and The Album Show on Sundays from 1pm.
Simon said of his Drivetime show: "I think the thing about Drivetime is that it is like the flip side of breakfast. You kind of know what an awful lot of people are doing, it's the end of most people's day, they're doing some final bits of work, they're shutting the laptop, they're doing a bit of food preparation, they're driving home. I think it is that sense of camaraderie, it's the end of the day, people want to be cheered up and they want to spend some time with some decent folk on the radio!"
Find out more about Simon Mayo here.
Paul Gambaccini
Paul brings us his famous America's Greatest Hits programme every Saturday between 5pm-7pm, featuring two hours of the Greatest Hits that made it big in America.
Sharing some of the things he loves about his show, Paul said: "Radio is the perfect form of one-to-one communication. TV can be direct, too, but the camera operator is always in your line of vision! I enjoy sharing my favourite music, and my admittedly freakish knowledge of it, with people who care about that music. I love the opportunity for challenging talk overs, too!"
Find out more about Paul Gambaccini here.
Alex Lester
The Dark Lord keeps you company in the small hours. Join him for the Music Marathon from 1am and the Best Time Of The Day Show 4-6am weekdays.
Alex brings: "Your favourite songs. Bizarre insights and unusual thoughts," to his show and told us that he loves that during his show: "It's just the two of us. You and me. (Against the world)."
Find out more about Alex Lester here.
Jenny Powell
Jenny plays the biggest songs of the 70s, 80s and 90s on Greatest Hits Radio to kickstart your weekend, every Saturday and Sunday from 6am.
On Jenny's show, listeners can look forward to The Breakfast Club, which she says is: "A warm-up for the weekend, full of positive vibes and feel-good factor when you wake up on Saturdays and Sundays. I insist you have a dance with me on the Kitchen Disco, I share some fun news stories from the previous week on The Headliners and get you smiling no matter what, sharing some of my favourite tracks from the 70s, 80, and 90s."
Find out more about Jenny Powell here.
Andy Crane
Join Andy's late-night community of music and company, Sunday-Thursday at 10pm.
Andy has three hours of the biggest songs from the 70s, 80s and 90s as well as The Top 10 at 10 and Midnight Music Marathon. His show is full of: "Great music and plenty of laughing."
Find out more about Andy Crane here.
Martin Kemp
Join Martin Kemp with The Mix Tape every Friday from 7pm!
Martin has got "the perfect soundtrack to start your weekend," and his show includes: "All the biggest songs of the 70s 80s and 90s that we grew up listening to on full volume. I'll give you TV recommendations for your weekend, there's always a slow dance at the end, and I turn the decks over to you to pick your favourite songs. Plus plenty of stories from my career in music, film and TV. We always have a good laugh and the music is absolutely popping."
Find out more about Martin Kemp here.
Jackie Brambles
Jackie Brambles hosts The Evening Show every Monday to Thursday from 7pm - 10pm.
Jackie promises to deliver: "Great music and great conversations! Every night we're joined by one of your favourite artists of the 70s, 80s and 90s for an in-depth chat about the highs and lows of their careers and their musical influences over the years."
Find out more about Jackie Brambles here.
Kate Thornton
Catch Kate Thornton on Saturdays from 7pm! It's the best night of the week - so if it's a kitchen disco you're after, Kate will make it fun and have you dancing and laughing with her perfect blend of playlist and good times chat.
Kate explained what listeners can expect from her show: "It's the kind of show that lets you know it's Saturday night, no matter where you're listening in from and no matter who you're with. Three hours of songs that make a night in feel like a night out if you're with friends, or offers up the soundtrack for the perfect party for one if you're tuning in alone."
Find out more about Kate Thornton here.
Richard Allinson
Richard Allinson is live on Greatest Hits Radio on Saturday afternoons from 1pm with the perfect Soundtrack of the biggest songs of the 70s, 80s and 90s and weekend anthems.
Speaking about his show, Richard said: "The idea is to recreate all those great memories I have of Saturday afternoons growing up, a bunch of us meeting up to buy clothes, records, maybe sort a date…everything happened on a Saturday and we remember the records we played at that time."
Find out more about Richard Allinson here.
Des Paul
Join Des for Rhythm Of The Night every Friday and Saturday night from 10pm, where he plays all the greatest soul, funk, disco and Motown hits to start your weekend.
Des explained what he loves the most about his show: "The favourite bit of presenting Rhythm of the Night is when listeners contact me to say how much they've loved hearing a particular track and then tell us all about when and where they used to hear it."
Find out more about Des Paul here.
How to listen to Greatest Hits Radio
There are so many ways to listen to Greatest Hits Radio! You can also find us on your smart speakers, on our website, on our app and on your smart speakers. Here's how to get Greatest Hits Radio on other mediums.
Can I listen to Greatest Hits Radio on my phone?
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Read more:
Ken Bruce is joining Greatest Hits Radio from 3rd April
All the ways you can listen to Greatest Hits Radio
Get to know our Greatest Hits Radio presenters