Steve Wright has insisted there's "no tension" in his emotional goodbye BBC Radio 2 show, Steve Wright In The Afternoon, on Friday September 30.
The DJ, 68, admitted he felt he had to make his last afternoon show on the station "a good one" as he went on the airwaves on the show for the final time. He will continue to present Sunday Love Songs on BBC Radio Two and his Serious Jockin’ podcast will launch on November 4 on BBC Sounds.
Speaking to listeners on Steve Wright In The Afternoon, he admitted: "Last show, bit of pressure, got to make it a good one everyone – it's got to be a good one."
He then played How Bizarre by OMC to open the show for listeners on a light-hearted note and insisted there was "no tension" on the programme as he said: "No tension here, just fun, celebration and thanks to you."
Later Steve admitted he was feeling emotional as he told his listeners: "I want to try and do some of our normal stuff and, of course, any other stuff because I don't want to go to pieces. I don't want to be in bits."
As he continued to serve his listeners with his usual selection of hit songs, Steve took the time to share thanks to his listeners and give an emotional address.
He said: "Personally I want to say thank you to you for your appreciation, you dearest listeners smashing and loyal, for all of the reaction, all the nice words. Thank you if you’ve ever seen your way to listening to us over 23 years at any time. Thank you thank you and thank you again.
"Corny though it sounds, I quite like the way we’ve all helped each other get through some of our on-going problems together, the pandemic, the financial downturn, the ups and downs of life in the UK.
"Sometimes it has been very difficult for everybody. We’ve tried on this programme to bring just a little bit of light relief, a good genuine atmosphere, uplifting tunes, good conversation, a little bit of satire, we try to make the show unique and just be good company.
"I can only hope we have done that some of the time.
"Also really aware there are more things to think about than a radio show ending so I don’t want to be too self-indulgent. What I do want to do is celebrate the shows success and long-run and also mention that I’m not retiring, I am not retiring."
He also stressed that he is not retiring in a message posted ahead of his final Steve Wright In The Afternoon show on Radio 2.
In a heartfelt message posted to the Radio 2 Twitter account ahead of his departure on September 30, Wright said: "In advance of our last SWITA show for a while, I just wanted to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has taken the trouble to listen at any point over the past 23 years.
"I personally would like to say what a privilege it’s been bringing you great choons, conversation information, entertainment, high humour and of course great guests.
"I know I have been extremely lucky to do this work and have never taken it for granted."
He added: "I’d also like to clear something up. I’m not retiring!!!” he said.
"I repeat, I am NOT retiring!!! I am taking a break from daytime radio and will continue at Radio 2. I’ll be going a tad digital with a podcast, Serious Jockin’ will still be there on BBC Sounds, and Steve Wright’s Sunday Love Songs continues on Radio 2 every weekend."
DJ Steve has presented Steve Wright in the Afternoon since 1999 and also presents Steve Wright’s Sunday Love Songs on the same network.
He added that he would also be presenting a special programme on Radio 2 on National Album Day and will be returning to the network to present a number of festival specials over Christmas.
In the final moments of his last show he turned his focus to the listeners who have enjoyed his show for over two decades.
"Most of all, I want to say thank you to you for listening from the bottom of my heart. If you've listened at any time over the past 23 years, me and the team don't really quite know how to thank you enough.
"And it goes without saying that I love you, and we've shared a few tears over the past few weeks," he said.
"I'm so glad that today was a celebration of the success of the programme and I want to say thank you again to everybody who has ever been involved with this programme: guests, celebrities, stars, authors, politicians, experts - they've all come to studio 6b and been brilliant," he continued.
Scott Mills is set to step into the slot currently held by Wright, after he departed Radio 1 last month.
