Paul O'Grady's pact to leave BBC after 'dreadful' experiences

Paul O'Grady was a staple on BBC Radio 2 for years before his death - and now the truth about why he really left his much-loved presenting role has come to light in a posthumous memoir written by his close friend and producer, Malcolm Prince.

Paul hosted his weekly show on BBC Radio 2 for more than 14 years, with his last show being on August 14, 2022. He decided to leave the station due to changes in scheduling and his decision to step away from the weekly commitment. Show bosses made scheduling changes which saw Rob Beckett taking over for two three-month stints each year - leaving Paul unhappy. Malcolm, who was a producer, also left the show at the same time as he admits in his new book Not The Same Without You that the two had actually made a pact to leave together. Malcolm explained that while the BBC announced the changes, "what that BBC announcement didn't mention was that Paul was only contracted for 2022, and there was nothing on the cards for 2023."

He added: "As Rob Beckett settled into his new slot in February 2022, Paul went on holiday and I took a break. Away from the routine of making weekly radio, I decided it was time to leave the BBC altogether."

Malcolm then took voluntary redundancy, but agreed with Paul to stick around for 13 more weeks as they felt that they "owed it to the listeners".

"The final TeamPOG programme rapidly approached and, days before it was broadcast, Paul formally handed in his notice," Malcolm wrote. "He was true to his word; he wasn't going to stay at Radio 2 without me.

"Looking back now, Paul and I had probably given BBC management exactly what they wanted, but it did feel like a mixture of constructive dismissal and ageism."

Sharing a bit more of Paul's experience working for the BBC in general, Malcom also wrote: "He had suffered some dreadful experiences on BBC TV shows and was quite happy to tell you about them if you had the time to listen. He loathed the seemingly endless layers of management and, in the case of Radio 2, the interfering 'content editors' who, he felt, knew nothing about his radio show.

"As Julian Clary told me, 'Paul was anti-authority, anti-management. He saw them as something to push against. He knew they could be ruthless people.'" Express.co.uk have contacted the BBC for comment.

In Not the Same without You, Malcolm tells the stories that Paul didn't get to share himself. It's a treasure trove of anecdotes and memories, all drawn from Malcolm's extensive collection of private recordings and interviews with the people that knew Paul best.

It tells never-before-heard stories of the much-missed national treasure, featuring the great and the good of the entertainment world, his unlikely friendship with the Queen, his departure from the BBC, and a ghost story of two thrown in for good measure.

Paul O'Grady - Not The Same Without You is available in bookstores from November 6.