Born in Glasgow in 1951, Ken Bruce attended Hutchesons' Boys' Grammar School, before training as a chartered accountant.
He always felt most comfortable in a radio studio, starting out with the Hospital Broadcasting Service in Glasgow, before becoming a staff announcer for BBC Radio 4 Scotland.
When Radio Scotland was launched in 1978 he joined as presenter of Nightbeat, as well as presenting a Saturday morning show. Subsequent roles on the channel included the mid-morning slot and a daily afternoon entertainment show.
His Radio 2 career began as presenter of the Ballroom programmes in 1980 and standing in for other broadcasters, but a he landed permanent role on Saturday late night show in 1984. Following a stint on The Radio 2 Breakfast Show, replacing Terry Wogan, he took on the job for which he would become famous in 1990 – hosting the mid-morning slot.
Other than a short-lived move to the early morning slot in 1992, he has remained in the slot until this year when he announced he would be leaving the BBC – taking his PopMaster format with him.
Here are 11 quotes from the master of radio.
!["I was the baby and couldn't get a word in. Now I can speak without being interrupted."](https://www.scotsman.com/webimg/b25lY21zOjU2M2ZmYTMwLTUyYTEtNDI2ZC04M2QzLTU2NTJiZWE4NjEwYzozM2Q5Yjg3My1mOWQzLTQzYTYtODdmMi04ZjFiYzc4NTI5NDc=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=640)
1. Ken Bruce on...being the youngest of four children
"I was the baby and couldn't get a word in. Now I can speak without being interrupted." Photo: BBC
![“Back in the day, not many people would take the trouble to sit down and write to you in green ink, whereas now you can get a Twitter storm about almost anything. A pressure group tried to get one started against me once over a flippant remark about badgers. They were campaigning, saying whatever I’d said – I honestly can’t remember what it was – was a disgrace.”](https://www.scotsman.com/webimg/b25lY21zOmFjODJlYWE4LWJiZDQtNGQyOC05OGNiLTZlYzcyM2JlMGNiODozODNiMDU4My0yNzU0LTQwNGQtOGMyNi1iMWZjMDM1ZDhjMjk=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=640)
2. Ken Bruce on...Twitter storms
“Back in the day, not many people would take the trouble to sit down and write to you in green ink, whereas now you can get a Twitter storm about almost anything. A pressure group tried to get one started against me once over a flippant remark about badgers. They were campaigning, saying whatever I’d said – I honestly can’t remember what it was – was a disgrace.” Photo: BBC
!["Twenty years ago, over lunch, my BBC colleague Phil Swern and I came up with the PopMaster quiz for my show, and it's been more or less the same ever since. We just thought it would run for a few months, so it's become much bigger than we ever thought."](https://www.scotsman.com/webimg/b25lY21zOjdjNzVkOGQzLWNmZjgtNDIxZS1hMzE5LWRiNWZhNzVlZjQzNzowMzMxOGNhOS02YTMyLTQyYWQtYTA2My03NjdlZDBlODRkMDI=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=640)
3. Ken Bruce on...coming up with Popmaster
"Twenty years ago, over lunch, my BBC colleague Phil Swern and I came up with the PopMaster quiz for my show, and it's been more or less the same ever since. We just thought it would run for a few months, so it's become much bigger than we ever thought." Photo: BBC
!["Over the years I've had my suspicions about some contestants getting assistance, but I don't like to use the word 'cheat' because I can't prove anything. Rather like golf, we trust people to play by the rules."](https://www.scotsman.com/webimg/b25lY21zOjMxYmE2YTZlLTQyYjctNGE2Ny1hNDU5LWE0NTMzODU4MjkyNDphZjczNTdiMy0zNGJkLTQwZDQtOTZjOS1kYmNhYTNhNjg4NWI=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=640)
4. Ken Bruce on...whether people cheat on Popmaster
"Over the years I've had my suspicions about some contestants getting assistance, but I don't like to use the word 'cheat' because I can't prove anything. Rather like golf, we trust people to play by the rules." Photo: PA