Bob Harris to Step Down from BBC Radio 2 Shows After Cancer Spreads to Spine

Bob Harris announced he is leaving BBC Radio 2 weeks after revealing his prostate cancer has spread to his spine. The broadcaster, who began working for the BBC in 1970, said the decision to step down is one of the hardest of his life. Harris told listeners he was "so sorry that my health issues are forcing me to step down" but added that he must now concentrate on getting well.

He said the move ends a broadcasting career that has spanned almost 56 years. Harris started as a club DJ in the 1960s and co-founded the listings magazine Time Out. He became host of the television programme Old Grey Whistle Test in 1972 and joined BBC Radio 2 in 1996 as presenter of the Country Show.

In 2024 Harris replaced Johnny Walker on the Sounds of the 70s programme. He posted an emotional farewell message on Radio 2's social accounts, describing himself as a "massive BBC loyalist" who had been given freedom to shape his shows. Harris said the Country Show had helped make country music the fastest-growing genre in the UK and called presenting Sounds of the 70s on Sunday afternoons "a real pleasure" that made his time at the station the most special of his life.

He thanked listeners for their support, stating he had put everything into every show because of them. Shaun Keaveny and Darius Rucker, who have been deputising during Harris's treatment, will continue as hosts of Sounds of the 70s and the Country Show respectively.

" Helen Thomas, head of Radio 2, said Harris had filled the airwaves with "love, laughter and captivating stories" and that the station would miss him and his weekly shows.

Harris was first treated for prostate cancer in 2007. In April 2026 he revealed the disease had spread to his spine and began radiotherapy immediately, spending two weeks in hospital. He later wrote on Instagram that he was "back at home now, on the pathway to recovery and feeling stronger every day," and thanked his family for their support.