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Sir Terry Wogan named greatest BBC radio presenter

BBC Sir Terry WoganBBC
Sir Terry did two stints as Radio 2's breakfast show presenter

Sir Terry Wogan has been named the greatest BBC radio presenter of the last 50 years in a Radio Times poll of broadcasting experts.

Sir Terry presented Radio 2's breakfast show for a total of 28 years.

John Peel, who discovered dozens of new bands during his long BBC career, was in second place.

The top 10 includes four women - Woman's Hour presenters Jane Garvey and Jenni Murray, its former presenter Sue MacGregor and DJ Annie Nightingale.

Kenny Everett
Everett presented shows on both Radio 1 and Radio 2

Kenny Everett, who was sacked by both Radio 1 and Radio 2, came sixth on the list.

The poll, conducted to mark 50 years since the launch of BBC Radio 1 and the creation of BBC Radios 2, 3 and 4, asked leading radio industry figures and critics to name their top 15 broadcasters.

Contributors included BBC radio presenters like Ken Bruce, Paul Gambaccini, Zoe Ball, Jeremy Vine and Kirsty Young, as well as writers Philip Pullman and Sebastian Faulks and comedians Isy Suttie and Arabella Weir.

The full top 20:

  1. Sir 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
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