Ken Bruce facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ken Bruce
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Bruce presenting BBC Proms in the Park in 2006
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| Born |
Kenneth Robertson Bruce
2 February 1951 Giffnock, Scotland
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| Years active | 1977–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Fiona Fraser
(m. 1976; div. 1988)Anne Gilchrist
(m. 1990; div. 1995)Kerith Coldham
(m. 2000) |
| Children | 6 |
| Career | |
| Show | Weekday mid-mornings (1986–1990, 1992–present) |
| Station(s) | BBC Radio 2 (1984–2023, previously a stand in presenter, 1980–83) Greatest Hits Radio (2023–present) |
| Time slot | 9:30 am – 11:00 am (1986–1990) 9:30 am – 11:30 am (1992–1998) 9:30 am – 12:00 pm (1998–2023) 10:00 am – 1:00 pm (2023–present) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
Kenneth Robertson Bruce (born on February 2, 1951) is a famous Scottish radio and television presenter. He is well-known for hosting a popular mid-morning show. He worked on BBC Radio 2 for many years, from 1986 to 1990, and then again from 1992 to 2023. Since April 2023, he has been presenting the same show on Greatest Hits Radio.
In 2023, Ken Bruce was given a special award called a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). This award recognized his great work in radio. It also honored his efforts to raise awareness about autism and his charity work.
Since 2023, Ken Bruce has also hosted a TV version of his radio quiz show, PopMaster. This show is called PopMaster TV and is shown on Channel 4.
Contents
Ken Bruce's Early Life and Career
Ken Bruce grew up in Giffnock, a town near Glasgow, Scotland. When he was nine, he went to Hutchesons' Boys' Grammar School. After school, he trained and worked as an accountant for a few years. Later, he started his career in broadcasting. This began with the Hospital Broadcasting Service in Glasgow in the early 1970s.
In 1977, Ken Bruce became an announcer for BBC Radio 4 Scotland. He also worked as a TV announcer for BBC One Scotland and BBC Two Scotland. When BBC Radio Scotland started in 1978, he became one of the first presenters of a show called Nightbeat. He also hosted a Saturday morning show.
In the 1980s, he took over the mid-morning radio slot. Then, in 1983, he presented a daily afternoon entertainment show. He even hosted his mid-morning show on the BBC World Service in the late 1980s.
Working at BBC Radio 2
How Ken Bruce Joined Radio 2
Ken Bruce's first shows for Radio 2 were from Scotland. He took over a show called Radio 2 Ballroom in 1980. He presented this show regularly until 1982. He also became a stand-in presenter for Radio 2. This meant he would fill in for other presenters, especially for Ray Moore on the Early show. Ken Bruce became a regular presenter for Radio 2 in January 1984. He started hosting the Saturday late-night show.
In January 1985, Ken Bruce left Radio Scotland. He then took over The Radio 2 Breakfast Show from Terry Wogan. In April 1986, he moved to his first mid-morning show. This show lasted until March 1990. After that, he hosted the late show for the rest of 1990. He then presented the early show throughout 1991. On January 6, 1992, he returned to the mid-morning slot, where he stayed for many years.
Broadcasting During Challenging Times
From March 2020 to May 2021, Ken Bruce presented his show from home. This was due to the Covid-19 restrictions. He talked about how this made him feel closer to his listeners. He said they often asked for simple hellos for relatives they couldn't see. He also mentioned that they thanked people working in essential services. Ken Bruce returned to broadcasting from the BBC studios in June 2021.
On January 17, 2023, Ken Bruce announced he would be leaving BBC Radio 2 in March. He wanted to explore new opportunities. This included hosting a new mid-morning show for Greatest Hits Radio. He presented his final Radio 2 show on March 3, 2023. The last song he played was a mix of "Golden Slumbers", "Carry That Weight", and "The End" by the Beatles.
Show Format and Features
Ken Bruce's show focuses a lot on music. On Radio 2, he often had live music performances. His competitions were usually about music. One popular part of the show was the Love Song and dedications feature. Other regular parts included the Record of the Week and Album of the Week. There was also Tracks of My Years, where a celebrity chose two songs that were special to them.
The show also features a daily quiz called PopMaster. This quiz is very popular. Other past competitions included Spin It to Win It and Words Don't Come Easily. These were stopped in 2007. However, PopMaster returned in early 2008.
The comedian Rob Brydon has impersonated Ken Bruce on his show. He even presented the show as Ken Bruce on April Fools' Day in 2011.
About PopMaster
PopMaster has been a part of Ken Bruce's show since February 16, 1998. Music expert Phil Swern creates the questions for the quiz. If a contestant answers correctly in the "Three-in-Ten" bonus round, they win a smart speaker. If they don't win, they get a set of Bluetooth headphones. A fun prize for losing contestants is a T-shirt that says "One Year Out". This refers to a common mistake in the quiz when people guess a song's chart year incorrectly by one year.
The public version of the PopMaster quiz was paused for a while in 2007. A version with celebrities was introduced instead. The regular format with public callers returned on January 21, 2008.
Ken Bruce himself even played PopMaster on his show on May 17, 2013. This was a special Eurovision edition of the quiz. It was broadcast live from Malmö, Sweden.
Ken Bruce on Greatest Hits Radio
On April 3, 2023, Ken Bruce started broadcasting on Greatest Hits Radio. The first song he played was "Come Together" by The Beatles. His show now runs on weekdays from 10 AM to 1 PM. The popular PopMaster quiz is still a part of the show at 10:30 AM.
Other Appearances and Work
Ken Bruce presented BBC Proms in the Park for many years. From 1988 to 2022, he was the Radio 2 commentator for the Eurovision Song Contest. He also presented the Eurovision Song Contest Previews on BBC1 from 1989 to 1991. He was a regular presenter of the long-running show Friday Night is Music Night.
He has also appeared on Countdown, a game show on Channel 4. He was in the "Dictionary Corner" section.
In November 2007, he appeared on a special episode of Never Mind the Buzzcocks for Children in Need. Ken Bruce also has a special driving licence for buses. He co-owns several AEC Routemaster buses with friends. He thinks the buses are "a fantastic piece of engineering and such fun to have". On March 3, 2008, Ken Bruce took part in Ready, Steady, Cook on BBC Two.
On December 30, 2012, Ken Bruce won an episode of Celebrity Mastermind. His special subject was the Jeeves novels by P.G. Wodehouse. In 2014, he narrated the BBC One game show Reflex. He also appeared in celebrity episodes of The Chase. Ken Bruce and his son Charlie were on the show Big Star's Little Star. In October 2018, he made a short appearance on Hollyoaks.
In 2022, Ken Bruce was interviewed for a BBC One documentary. He spoke about Pennyhooks Farm and his son Murray, who is autistic. Murray is one of several non-verbal people who work on the care farm. In February 2023, Ken Bruce and Murray appeared in a BBC Two documentary series called Inside Our Autistic Minds.
On June 27, 2023, Ken Bruce narrated a documentary called Sounds Like the 80s. In the spring of 2023, he presented six episodes of PopMaster TV on More4. A second series of PopMaster TV began in May 2024.
Awards and Other Work
In December 2008, Ken Bruce was added to the Radio Academy Hall of Fame. This is a special honor for people who have made a big impact in radio.
In September 2018, Ken Bruce became the patron of Stoke Mandeville Hospital Radio. He said he was "delighted to take on the role of patron".
Ken Bruce's Personal Life
Ken Bruce married Kerith Coldham in September 2000. They have two sons and one daughter together. He also has two sons from his first marriage and a daughter from his second marriage, making him a father of six children. His youngest child, Charlie Bruce, was born in February 2008. He lives in Towersey, a village near Thame, Oxfordshire.
One of his sons, Murray, has autism. Ken Bruce is very active in supporting charities that help people with autism.
His autobiography, which is his life story written by himself, was published on September 4, 2009. It is called The Tracks of My Years: The Autobiography.
