Eddie Mair leaves the BBC with 'no fuss or faff'

Eddie Mair has presented his last radio show on the BBC, without mentioning it was his last show.

He presented Radio 4's PM on Wednesday ending with Bring Me Sunshine sung by Willie Nelson, chosen by a listener.

He was due to present Thursday and Friday's shows but in an email to the show's team he said it was the "perfect" show to end on.

"No fuss or faff, just as I wanted. Genuinely unplanned, and with its origins in a listener idea.

"Perfect. Or as close to perfect as we're likely to get."

He started his email explaining why he wasn't in the office.

"I'm sorry I'm not in the office today as planned. I seem to have picked up one of those 48 hour bugs. Atishoo."

He told the team working with them had been the "joy" of his professional life and that he was worried about managing without them.

"One of the biggest struggles I had in deciding whether to leave is a truth we both understand. Yes I bring something to PM and I have talents and abilities that help the programme.

"But I also understand completely that the work of all the people on PM make me sound much much better than my own abilities can muster. This is just a truth. And what I wrestled with was, in essence, 'can I manage without them?'

"I don't know the answer to that but it's high time I tried."

And he couldn't manage to say goodbye.

"I hate saying goodboo. Sorry…goodbee. No…goodbiy. Dammit. I still can't say it."

The presenter announced in July he was leaving the BBC after more than 30 years. He has been signed by commercial station LBC.

The 52-year-old had been a presenter on Radio 4's PM programme since 1998.

Paddy O'Connell is guest presenting PM for Thursday and Carolyn Quinn on Friday. Mair's full-time replacement has still to be announced.

There will be a number of stand in presenters over the next few weeks including Chris Mason, Sarah Smith and Jonny Dymond with Carolyn Quinn.

Mair will join LBC in September. It hasn't been announced yet which time slot his show will be in.

He will continue to present the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Podcast for the BBC until November.

Hello

I'm sorry I'm not in the office today as planned. I seem to have picked up one of those 48 hour bugs. Atishoo. Thank you Paddy for stepping in.

Coincidentally, I want to tell you about what happened just after PM finished last night.

As you may know, we finished the show with a full rendition by Willie Nelson of 'Bring Me Sunshine'.

It was, in keeping with the tradition of PM, a suggestion by a listener. Making the show yesterday had been tortuous for everyone on a quiet news day but in the end, I think we made something pretty good.

Eloise and I looked at each other after the meeting and agreed that there was no way to match that for a last Eddie programme. So, that's what it was…my last PM. It felt right then and it feels right now.

No fuss or faff, just as I wanted. Genuinely unplanned, and with its origins in a listener idea. Perfect. Or as close to perfect as we're likely to get.

I hate saying goodboo. Sorry…goodbee. No…goodbiy. Dammit. I still can't say it.

What I do say is this. One of the biggest struggles I had in deciding whether to leave is a truth we both understand. Yes I bring something to PM and I have talents and abilities that help the programme.

But I also understand completely that the work of all the people on PM make me sound much much better than my own abilities can muster. This is just a truth. And what I wrestled with was, in essence, 'can I manage without them?'

I don't know the answer to that but it's high time I tried.

Working with you all has been the joy of my professional life. There is a rich deep seam of talent in our department and I've been privileged to be part of it. Thank you for everything you've done for PM, iPM and hundreds of years ago in my case, BH. I am literally missing you already.

From what I know of the plans for the department, PM is about to get a brilliant editor. The show, about which I care so much, is about to get even better. So this old fart is buggering off and leaving you to do what you all do brilliantly.

Thank you.

Eddie

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