Radio 2 favourite Ken Bruce on Friday night revealed he has been ousted by BBC chiefs a month early – with just a week of shows to go. Ken, 72, had been due to leave at the end of March after quitting amid claims he felt “unloved” by bosses after 31 barnstorming years.

Angry listeners were already vowing to quit Radio 2 after Vernon Kay, 48, was named his replacement, stirring accusations of ageism.

And on Friday night PopMaster genius Ken revealed he was off sooner than expected. He tweeted: “I will be presenting my last show on Radio 2 next Friday. I had intended fulfilling my contract until the end of March but the BBC has decided it wants me to leave earlier. Let’s enjoy the week ahead!”

He will be following other baby boomer DJs out the revolving door at Radio 2.

It has haemorrhaged 580,000 listeners in 12 months after stars including Paul O’Grady, 67, Steve Wright, 68, Vanessa Feltz, 61, and Simon Mayo, 64, were axed or quit.

Vanessa said about Ken’s departure: “I can’t speak for him but I imagine that it’s a feeling of some sense of ageism at the BBC.”

He leaves his mid-morning show after 31 years to start at Greatest Hits, a commercial station.

TV host Vernon starts in May, with Gary Davies, 65, filling in until then. Upset Ken devotee Fiona Rees tweeted: “Radio 2 is totally unrecognisable.”

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