The show forever associated with Alan ‘Fluff’ Freeman, not ‘arf, has a new name taking over the vintage chart countdown.
Steve Wright is the new host of Pick of the Pops every Saturday lunchtime (1-3pm) from Saturday 21 October, while current host Paul Gambaccini moves to Sunday evening (8-10pm) to premiere an exciting new live show on the station.
Steve, who will continue to present Love Songs each Sunday morning (9-11am) was bumped out of his daily afternoon show last year as Radio 2 continued its mission to chase a younger audience.
Steve Wright:
“Pick of the Pops is such a legendary show. Gambo brilliantly made it his own over the last seven and a half years, and now it’s my chance to give it a go! It’s a great privilege to present such an iconic show on Radio 2, and Pick of the Pops fans don’t worry – it’s going be the same and different at the same time. I’ve got lots of other exciting upcoming Radio 2 shows too, and am particularly looking forward to Your Ultimate Kylie Song when I’ll be counting down her top songs, as voted for by listeners. Like most people around the world I’m a huge Kylie fan, and can’t wait to hear which song takes that number one spot!”
Pick of the Pops was launched by Alan Freeman in the sixties. Other hosts over the years include Dale Winton, Tony Blackburn and Mark Goodier.
Paul Gambaccini will in his new programme rediscover and resurface long forgotten tracks from across the past eight decades, playing some of his favourite lesser-known records from the 1950’s onwards. He’ll be sharing his encyclopaedic knowledge of the artists and bands he is playing, as well as mining his memory bank for the amazing stories which reflect his life lived in music and radio.
In October, Radio 2 will celebrate Paul’s 50th anniversary as a national broadcaster with a very special show, and he will also present a number of artist specials on the station.
Paul Gambaccini:
“This year marks the 25th anniversary of my happy relationship with Radio 2, which began with America’s Greatest Hits. When I accepted the Pick of the Pops assignment in 2016, I was told it would be for between five and ten years. Here we are, smack dab in the middle, seven-and-a-half years later, and it is time for Chapter Three. I am delighted that on the new show I will have the opportunity to present neglected gems from the past century, be they album tracks, 7″ B-sides or missed hits. The show will be live, because live is best. It is a happy presenter who gets to share great music of his choice with loyal long-term listeners.
“I’m also grateful that this autumn Radio 2 will observe my 50 continuous years as a national broadcaster, which began on Radio 1 in October 1973.”
Steve’s forthcoming specials include Steve Wright’s Summer Nights (Monday 21 – Thursday 24 August 7-9pm). Steve will be live with the songs that sound good in the summer, from L.A. soft rock, to Summer of Love hits and the coolest contemporary summer tunes, as well as playing listeners’ summer shout-outs.
From Monday 21 August, BBC Sounds will launch Steve Wright’s Love Songs Extra, with each edition focussing on one year. Listeners will hear a blend of classic love songs and real-life romance stories, all from 1983, 1993, 2003 or 2013.
Also previewing on Monday 21 August on BBC Sounds, Steve presents Your Ultimate Kylie Song, the full Top 40 countdown of Radio 2 listeners’ favourite Kylie songs. The show will be exclusively available on BBC Sounds from Monday 21 August and broadcast on Radio 2 on Monday 28 August from 4-7pm.
Radio 2 will continue to commission new Sunday Night is Music Night concerts.
