Tony Hall leaves special message for Julian Clegg’s last day

BBC Radio Solent breakfast presenter Julian Clegg presented his last show on Thursday morning – his 60th birthday – with a special message from the BBC DG.

Lord Hall thanked Julian for his 23 years at the Southampton-based station, during a special on-air celebration complete with listeners and special guests during his final breakfast show.

Other surprise appearances included Dame Esther Rantzen and BBC South presenter Fred Dinenage. Music composer Simon May performed a bespoke song, and the New Forest Chamber Choir performed live Christmas music for him.

Former bosses Nigel Kay and Chris Van Schaick reminisced about his 23 years at BBC Radio Solent.

Elle, a young listener and fan of Julian, asked, “Why are you leaving?” Julian responded, “Because I’m very old and need to have a lie-in.”

Director-General Tony Hall said, “Let me thank you for nearly 23 years of waking the south up, you know I am a huge fan of BBC Local Radio and you’re the epitome of what makes us different and makes us stand out, and resonate with our audience. Your passion for the South shines through, you know what the audience cares about, and crucially you care about them.”

See some of the highlights from the tweets below:

BBC Radio Solent Breakfast (excluding Dorset) will be hosted by current mid-morning presenters Alun Newman and Louisa Hannan from January.