mind you, and it's not because of the Manuel jump lead, but I would rather be summoned to prayer by Charles Manson than listen to the impedimented one. Pillock.

No, you are not alone Robram. Richard Hammond and Divina Mc Coll are another pair who spring to mind. Whats wrong with giving a few night-shifters a go or better still, someone who we have never heard of.

I assumed he WAS a replacement. I can't believe his replacement could be any worse.

I find Jonathan Ross and his sycophantic acolyte quite unlistenable, so was thrilled when he was replaced by Danny Baket & Zoe Ball in spring.

I find Jo Brand repellant. It is not a pond/gender/reverse sexism thing but rather that I saw her judging a Countryfile calendar competition once, and her opinions and carry-on were so obviously disinterested and puerile in their general i'm here for me stuff and not the contestants that I thought fuck off and stop hoping into my watering can.

Somewhere along the way the powers that be at the BBC seemed to lose sight of the fact that radio broadcasting requires a different set of skills from television broadcasting. Someone who feels right at home in front of a TV camera might not be so comfortable in front of a microphone in a radio studio, and vice versa. A good example of this is one Terry Wogan, who is a brilliant radio presenter but less than brilliant on the box.

Also there is the recurring problem of 'celebrities' (how I hate that word) being awarded radio programmes on the flawed basis that their very recognizability in some way indicates a measure of talent.

Whatever you happen to think of them, Bob Harris, Johnnie Walker, Ken Bruce and Steve Wright know the business of radio broadcasting. Many of the twerps being given shows nowadays do not.

it's even worse on bbc 5live whenever simon mayo is away they always get some numptee to deputise(not mark radcliffe)such as

colin murray-annoying child like who can only reference football no matter who he is interviewing

phil williams-big daft brummie

richard bacon-is he doing an alan partridge impression on purpose

it looks like when (stupidly)5live moves to salford and simon mayo goes to radio 2 we're going to get one of these stooges and they'll probably find some other wally as well

as for 6music, it's great when they get someone else in as i will listen to anyone except keavney/lamb/nemone/lamaqc

he seems to like music and has nice groovester fm radio shtick going. I also like Lisa Tarbuck when I've heard her. When it comes to radio the best presenter are the ones curiously who want to be on the radio and not the telly. So Mr Baker, Robert Elms, mark Radcliffe etc .

.. and we are all assumed to be in awe of the celeb "calibre" of the stand ins. There was a time when a presenter (or DJ as I seem to remember them being called) was known for their musical taste (or am I living in a rose tinted fantasy world - probably) rather than being someone who filled in the increasingly long gaps between the inflexible playlist fodder. The career path used to be fairly lengthy and convoluted, a period spent on hospital / local / commercial / pirate radio etc. then promotion to national - a kind of winning your spurs. Now it's a straight transfer across from celebland if your face fits (ironic maybe for the wireless).
Bah, humbug.

When the regulars go on holiday it's usually time for the CDs in the car.
Now I'm no fan of Steve Wright but he's Wolfman Jack compared to Our Dale! Everything in Wintonworld is fabulous and lovely from the records to the e-mails. And why was I not surprised Barbara "Babs" Windsor appeared as a guest!!
The two exceptions are when Zoe Ball covers for Ken Bruce, (be still my beating heart) and Matthew Bannister fills in for Mr Sincerity, Jeromy Vine.
Mind having suffered 2 hours of slippery slime from Heart FM at a customer's office they all are Peel/Everett/Freeman all rolled into one.

The only music DJ for me is Mark Lamarr, but what's happened to his 'Shake, Rattle & Roll' and 'Alternate 60's' shows?
Otherwise, music radio in 2009 is as entertaining, shocking and innovative as the old Light Programme was in pre-rock 'n' roll days.
The industry should hang its collective head in shame; 2009 is the new 1953.
It can't be that hard can it?
DJ: 'I know....instead of playing Phil Collins.....I'll play Captain Beefheart; instead of playing 'My Girl', I'll play a Motown 45 that hasn't been played three million times since Tuesday.'
But then that presupposes that the average DJ (George Lamb, for example) is interested in music.

Whoever is the chosen stand in for Ken Bruce improves those 3 hours by a million percent! The original Partridge template?

Agree with those praising Mayo - his interviews in particular are great. He does his homework, is not afraid to ask awkward questions and doesn't showboat. Pretty unflappable and quite a dry wit too.

Can't agree re his stand-ins, though. Much as I like Mark Radcliffe, I thought he sounded awkward when he deputised for Mayo. Too many ums and ers and mumbles.

Colin Murray has always done a good job in that spot, I think, as has Phil Williams, who might be big and a Brummie, but certainly isn't daft. Less impressed by Richard Bacon, who often sounds like he's trying too hard and whose ironic tone can make him sound insincere and a bit smug.

just pure Partridge.

The night of Jacko's death was the high water mark of his insanity with the statement 'a world without Michael Jackson is unimaginable'.

I swaer he was going to pledge to kill himself and his children as he didn't want to live in world without Jacko.

'Most important death ever? is it bigger than John Lennon's death? What about Elvis? - text us!'

And when John Robb mentioned that Steven Wells had died that day Bacon responded with a sarcastic and surly 'Who?' as if it was insignificant trivia.

Insincere and smug is right but I don't think it is a by product of irony

when Janis Long one of the stations only 2 permanent female dj's is on holiday and in her late night slot the perfect stage for some new talent (possibly even a woman) the BBC are sp*nking away my licence fee on Steve "cocking" Jones from Channel 4's popular post hangover pot noodle drivel T4. Well done chaps large ones all round.