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Tony Blackburn has now finished presenting his last local BBC show.
The radio legend, who has spent 43 years playing music and using his comforting voice on air, is slightly changing direction.
The Coronation Street superfan will be leaving local radio where he’s been a regular feature on Berkshire, Oxford and Solent to instead focus on other projects including work on Radio 2.
On his final show, he said: ‘You’ll never find another laugh like mine.
’43 years on BBC local radio and that’s it as far as I’m concerned.
‘Thank you so much. I want to thank you very much indeed for listening to me over the years.
‘It’s been a pleasure being here and I look forward to being with you in other places.
‘Once again thanks very much indeed for all the memories and all the lovely music, I hope you’ve enjoyed the music I’ve brought you on Sunday afternoons.
‘From me Tony Blackburn to BBC Local Radio, bye-bye,’ he concluded.
He originally announced his decision to leave his local radio programme after 14 years last month.
‘Hi there, just wanted to let you know that I have decided to end my BBC Local Radio Sunday afternoon show that goes out on @BBCBerkshire, @BBCOxford, @BBCRadioSolent and @BBCSounds,’ he wrote on X.
‘My last show will be on March 24th. I have been a part of the Berkshire lineup since 2012 and have loved doing the show bringing music from the 50s up to the present day.
‘I have loved the callers and the fun we’ve some stage I might come back to BBC Local Radio but, for now, I’m going to focus on my @BBCRadio2 shows, Sounds Of The Sixties and the Golden Hour and my theatre tour which comes back in March.’
Tony was the first disc jockey to take to the mic on Radio 1 when it launched in 1967 and went on to create a very successful career as one of the UK’s best-known radio stars.
In November 2010 he took over the reins of Radio 2’s Pick Of The Pops programme following on from its two previous long-serving hosts, Alan Freeman and Dale Winton.
To add to his list of accolades, he also won the first-ever I’m A Celebrity back in 2002.
Having lived such an amazing life, he was asked to write a book in 1985, which was called Living Legend: Tony Blackburn Story. Although, he’s now admitted one aspect of his romantic life was ‘made up’ to make the chapters more salacious.
Last year Tony was hospitalised with pneumonia after first announcing he had a chest infection.
It was later revealed he also contracted sepsis as he fought off the infection, spending two months in total in hospital.
In December, he stepped down from Soul On Sunday show on BBC Radio London after presenting various shows on the station since 1981.
