Chris Evans has been snubbed by BBC colleagues who were asked to name Britain’s greatest radio hosts
CHRIS EVANS has been snubbed by BBC colleagues who were asked to name Britain’s greatest radio hosts.
Despite being the Beeb’s highest paid star - earning more than £2.2million over the past year - he finished an embarrassing 26th in a poll of the Top 50 DJs.
Evans, 51, came lower than Tony Blackburn, Danny Baker and Kenny Everett, with his predecessor on the Radio 2 Breakfast Show, Sir Terry Wogan, taking the top spot.
The Top 50, published in the latest edition of the Radio Times, features a very brief description of the Former Big Breakfast and TGI Friday presenter, calling him: “The Ginger Genius - His Radio 2 Breakfast Show is the most listened to in the UK.”
But over the last year 500,000 people have stopped tuning in to the show, which he took over from the late Sir Terry in 2010.
And 12 months after taking over from Jeremy Clarkson as the host of BBC2’s Top Gear, the rebooted motoring show was a flop and he stepped down.
The Top 50 was drawn up by radio experts, many of them BBC presenters and executives, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the launch of Radio 1 and the creation of Radio 2, 3 and 4.
Evans has a DJ career stretching back almost 35 years, and has worked for the BBC on Greater London Radio, Radio 1 and now Radio 2, where his breakfast show still has nine million listeners every day.
But it was Sir Terry who was branded “The Guv’nor” of radio by the experts, who were each asked to pick their top 15 presenters. The veteran, who died of cancer last year aged 77, also gained glowing tributes.
Radio 4 host Eddie Mair, 51, said: “Intelligence, wit, charm, mischief: they overflowed in every show. Terry was peerless.”
John Peel was placed second, Annie Nightingale came fourth, Kenny Everett was sixth and Woman’s Hour host Jenni Murray was at number ten.
Elsewhere in the top 50 were Jimmy Young, Jeremy Vine, Graham Norton and John Humphries.
THE TOP 30
1. Terry Wogan
2. John Peel
3. Sue MacGregor
4. Annie Nightingale
5. Alistair Cooke
6.Kenny Everett
7. Jane Garvey
8. Humphrey Lyttelton
9. Eddie Mair
10. Jenni Murray
11. Brian Redhead
12. Kirsty Young
13. John Humphrys
14. Melvin Bragg
15. Danny Baker
16. James Naughtie
17. Fi Glover
18. Linda Smith
19. Nick Clarke
20. Tony Blackburn
21. Sue Lawley
22. Paul Gambaccini
23. Corrie Corfield
24. Mark Radcliffe
25. Charlotte Green
26. Chris Evans
27. William Hardcastle
28. Mishal Husain
29. Alan Coren
30. Brian Johnston
