Jeremy Vine appeared on Ken Bruce’s last ever BBC Radio 2 show to tell the presenter how much he will miss working with him.
The exchange came as part of an emotional final episode for Bruce, with a host of fans calling in with heartfelt messages for the outgoing presenter.
“I was working it out, and you and I talk for three minutes a day… So that’s 10 hours a year, meaning over 20 years it’s 200 hours I haven’t been paid,” Vine joked.
“You’re saving the BBC a lot of money there… somehow it feels longer!” Bruce replied.
Bruce has hosted Radio 2’s mid-morning show for 31 years, and has been with the BBC since 1977.
He is set to move to commercial station Greatest Hits Radio, with a new show launching on 3 April.
During the show, Vine addressed his friend in earnest. “I’ll miss you so much, you’re always ahead of me on every story,” he said. “Am I allowed to say I’ve worked with some great people and you’re the best?
“I know you don’t like praise, but you’re the most generous, intelligent, talented colleague.”
“We Scots, Glaswegians particularly, don’t take praise,” Bruce replied, though he also added that he would “miss these chats immensely”.
Vine also said: “For us, at Radio 2, you’re the presenter we all want to be like.”
In February, Bruce said that BBC bosses had asked him to leave early, instead of continuing until the end of March, when his contract ends.
Reports have suggested that this decision was made in an effort to stop him from publicising his new Greatest Hits show on Radio 2.
