Surprise early exit for Mair as he hangs up his BBC headphones
EDDIE Mair has bowed out of the BBC by presenting his final radio show without revealing it was his last.
The Scots presenter told his co-stars he did not want any ‘fuss or faff’ after more than 30 years at the corporation.
Mair, who has served as BBC Radio 4’s PM flagship evening programme host since 1998, had planned to air his final show tonight but his final broadcast was on Wednesday.
The Dundonian, who is moving to LBC, ended his final show by playing Bring Me Sunshine, sung by Willie Nelson.
He later told the show’s team that it was the ‘perfect’ show to end on.
According to BBC News, Mair emailed the team: ‘No fuss or faff, just as I wanted. Genuinely unplanned, and with its origins in a listener idea. Perfect. Or as close to perfect as we’re likely to get.’
Mair, 52, explained why he was not in the office, saying he seemed to have’ picked up one of those 48-hour bugs’ and said that working with the PM team had been the ‘joy’ of his career. Paddy O’Connell was due to guest present the show last night, with Carolyn Quinn taking charge tonight.
Mair announced last month he would be leaving the BBC, and it was soon confirmed he would be taking up a new job at talk radio station LBC next month. In a statement about his departure, Mair said: ‘I thought this was the appropriate moment to step out and give someone else a chance, before I’m so old my sentences make no lasagne.’