Ken Bruce thanks listeners as he signs off from Radio 2

A few minutes ago, Ken Bruce walked out of the Radio 2 studios at Wogan House in central London for the last time as a presenter, greeted by a round of applause by the assembled fans, colleagues and journalists.

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Ken Bruce's departure underscores a period of significant upheaval at Radio 2, with several presenters leaving the station either by force or by choice.

Vanessa Feltz and Graham Norton have also been poached by other networks, while Steve Wright was taken off weekday afternoons by station bosses.

Radio audiences tend to be loyal to their favourite presenters and resistant to change, and many Radio 2 listeners have criticised the station for letting so many older DJs go in such a short space of time.

But others argue change is inevitable, and that the departures of long-standing presenters frees up slots for fresh talent.

Scott Mills and Vernon Kay are among the new names who have joined Radio 2, replacing Bruce and Wright respectively. At weekends, Claudia Winkleman replaced Graham Norton while comedian Rob Beckett took over from Paul O'Grady.

In case you missed it earlier, comedian and actor Rob Brydon left a good luck message for Ken Bruce on his final show. You can listen back here.

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Ken Bruce fan Geoff, 70, has come down to Radio 2 HQ at the BBC's Wogan House - near London Broadcasting House - from Nottingham in a bid to congratulate his favourite radio presenter.

He says: "I listen to him nearly every day. He's an all-round great guy who will be deeply missed."

"I will be following him to his new show absolutely."

"I like Vernon Kay but he’s got big shoes to fill. It'll take time for the audience to warm to him. We don’t want Bruce to go but these things happen."

Ken Bruce has left the Radio 2 building for the final time after 30 years of hosting his mid-mornings show.

Speaking to reporters, he says: "It's a sad day but looking forward as well...

"I'm happy now. It's all behind me."

He wishes his successor good luck.

And with a bang rather than a whimper, Ken Bruce has finished his final show on Radio 2.

But don't go anywhere yet - we'll be bringing you some more tributes to the great radio DJ before we shut up shop ourselves.

We'd like to join Bruce's listeners in wishing him all the best for the future.

Is it dusty in here?

A classy sign-off from Mr Bruce. He quotes The Beatles' song that's just ended.

"And in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make - and I have loved being here with you."

He continues, addressing his loyal listeners: "Thanks so much and may we meet again somewhere."

Ken Bruce then introduces Jeremy Vine's show - for the last time.

And that's it.

In his final link on Radio 2, Bruce has thanked everyone who has played their part in the show over the years - with particular appreciation for listeners.

He says members of the 'Ken Bruce preservation society' have sent him a bottle of an "unnamed Irish cream liqueur" (a BBC-pro to the end).

Bruce singles out producers Phil McGarvey and Janine Maya-Smith, his production team, for thanks as well.

He also has kind words for the BBC, which he says is "still the finest broadcasting institution in the world" and then launches into the appropriately selected final track - Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End, by The Beatles.

Before he signs off Ken Bruce is given a present on air from the team behind the scenes - a picture of them all together.

Joking that the sound of rustling paper is "always good on radio", Bruce also jokes he has finally managed to get his hands on one of the show's t-shirts as part of a Radio 2 goodie bag.

"What size is this, I'll never get into that," he protests, so a quick swap may be in order...

At midday Bruce hands over Radio 2 to Jeremy Vine - who popped in for his usual chat previewing the show.

“I don’t want to say this is my last little conversation with you,” says Vine, to which Bruce reassures him that they will speak again and that he hasn’t blocked his calls…yet.

However, Vine has a bone to pick with Bruce.

He has calculated that the pair spent a strict three minutes a day speaking between their shows, which is 15 minutes a week and an hour every four weeks.

That means that over the 20 years they’ve been colleagues they’ve spent around 200 hours talking…for which he hasn’t been paid.

“You’re saving the BBC a lot of money, well done,” says Bruce, who adds that the time “somehow feels longer”.

But things have ended on a good note.

“I’m going to miss you so much,” Vine has told Bruce. “I’ve worked with some great people and you’re the best.”

A crowd of reporters and photographers have gathered outside the BBC's Wogan House in central London, where the show is broadcast from.

No doubt ITV News and others will be wanting to get a few words from Bruce as he leaves the building for the final time.

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I’ll be honest, I was quite bemused when I was told I’d be live reporting on Ken Bruce’s last show.

My millennial colleague Adam and I had never listened to his show before, and I first heard of Bruce when news about his departure was reported.

“Would there be interest in this live blog,” I asked myself.

Well, I can put my hands up and say I was wrong. I’ve never been bombarded with so many emails and WhatsApp messages from readers on a story.

It’s been heartening to read their gushing tributes, and after listening for the first time to the show – Bruce’s last – I can understand why.

As a pop and RnB fan, I was surprised by the playlist. Lizzo, Jessie Ware and Mark Ronson interspersed with Jackson 5 classics and unknown numbers that were quirky and interesting like pop-jazz song Birdland by the Weather Report.

The musical merry-go-round continued with the trivia gold that is PopMaster.

And overseeing all of this was the charming, humorous and smooth Bruce.

I’ve had a blast reporting his final show. Good luck Ken.

We've been enjoying the tunes on Ken Bruce's final Radio 2 show - have you? Here’s the playlist so far…

Can You Feel It – The Jackson Five

Trustfall - Pink

Club Tropicana – Wham

Pandora’s Box – Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

Ghosts Again - Depeche Mode

Beggin’ – Timebox

I Heard It Through the Grapevine – Marvin Gaye

Giants – Take That

Heaven – Niall Horan

Lovefool – The Cardigans

Spanish Wine – Chris White

Pearls - Jesse Ware

Ships in the Deluxe - Be Bop Deluxe

How Does It Feel – Slade

Too Much Music – Jake Shears

Uptown Funk – Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars

Special – Lizzo

Birdland - Weather Report

Eye in the Sky – The Alan Parsons Project

Cracker Island – Gorillaz ft Thundercat

Pilot of the Airwaves – Charlie Dore

She Speaks in Colours - Thea Gilmore

Bruce has been treated to a reminder of some of the show's past highlights by travel presenter Richie Anderson.

He's instructed to play a clip and it's a message from actor Rob Brydon who once did a whole show posing as Bruce for April Fool's Day.

He sends Bruce his best wishes and says thank you for "letting me be you!".

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When you think of the BBC's Eurovision presenting team, you probably think of people like Graham Norton, Scott Mills, Rylan Clark and Mel Giedroyc.

But as far as Radio 2 listeners are concerned, Ken Bruce is the voice of the annual song contest.

He has commentated on Eurovision for the station since 1988 - witnessing the UK coming first, last and everything in between.

"It’s a glorious mish-mash of nations, musical styles and abilities," he said in an interview about Eurovision last year. "Above all, it’s always unpredictable."

Asked how Eurovision compares to the rest of his time on Radio 2, Bruce said: "It’s a moment of brightness, joy and dazzling excess - compared to the daily ritual of waiting by the Wogan House coffee machine!"

He is leaving Radio 2 two months before the UK hosts this year's Eurovision, which will be presented by Norton, Ted Lasso actress Hannah Waddingham, Britain's Got Talent judge Alesha Dixon and Ukrainian singer Julia Sanina.

Things we're looking out for as Bruce's last Radio 2 show heads towards midday:

• Jeremy Vine pops in at 11:30 to preview his show - will we hear a heartfelt tribute to his network colleague?
• Tracks of My Years at about 11:40, with actor Nigel Harman choosing his last two songs
• Richie Anderson's last travel bulletin with Bruce at 11:50

But the big question is what will be Bruce's parting words before he hands over to Vine at midday? Stay with us as we follow the show through to the end.

Bruce plays a song to mark the passing of jazz musician Wayne Shorter who was 89.

The DJ says he used the song as a theme tune for a quiz he presented in the late 80s and early 90s called Popscore.

It's called Birdland by Weather Report.

Once again, Bruce thanks his listeners for their messages which "are much appreciated".

He adds that Franny from Ramsden Heath says Bruce is her "radio husband".

"When you talk I'm always half-listening, I go out, I come back and you are still talking."

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Some Radio 2 listeners are unhappy with the station's current playlist, which is increasingly favouring more recent music from the 1990s and 2000s over the 1970s and 1980s.

But that's due to the station's efforts to attract the next generation of Radio 2 listeners, primarily people in their 30s and 40s who have moved on from Radio 1.

Speaking to BBC News, Bruce said: "Any radio station has its policy, and that's only right and proper, and you follow the station policy."

But on his new show on Greatest Hits Radio (GHR), Bruce said: "I'll be playing the stuff I like. And I'll be trying to introduce the odd track that I like into the playlist for GHR."

Stations such as GHR and Boom Radio have positioned themselves as alternatives to Radio 2 for older listeners - the baby boomer generation - who feel the station no longer caters to them.