BBC Radio 2 veteran DJ Johnnie Walker collected an MBE in 2006 (Image: PA Archive/PA Images)Get daily celeb exclusives and behind the scenes house tours direct to your inboxMore Newsletters SubscribePlease enter a valid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.More NewslettersWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More infoThank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow me See OurPrivacy Notice See OurPrivacy Notice×Group 28 Get daily celeb exclusives and behind the scenes house tours direct to your inboxInvalid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.Sign UpNo thanks, closeWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info×Group 28Thank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow MeNo thanks, closeSee our
Privacy NoticeTerminally-ill radio legend Johnnie Walker has opened up about his feelings on death, admitting he’s “not worried about dying” but experiences some trepidation regarding his final moments, all due to the complications of his health condition. The iconic BBC presenter recently made the poignant announcement that he was retiring from the airwaves after a remarkable 58 years, citing his battle with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) as the reason. The 79 year old shared on-air his decision to bow out from presenting Sounds of the 70s and The Rock Show on BBC Radio 2 at the month’s end. In a candid exchange with the Daily Mail, he confided: “I’m not worried about dying. I have an unshakeable belief in an after-life. I think it’s a beautiful place. Unless you’ve done some awful things down here, I don’t think there’s anything to fear,” while expressing concern about the potential struggle in his last moments: “What I am a little bit frightened of is what the end will be like when you’re fighting for breath. It doesn’t sound a very nice way to go.”
Johnnie Walker is terminally ill
His illness, IPF, causes scarring and difficulty in breathing, and is described by the NHS as progressive and without a known cure or any treatments that can reverse lung scarring. Born in Birmingham, Johnnie’s illustrious career on the air began in 1966 with Swinging Radio England and reached new heights with Radio Caroline, where his popularity soared as the host of a beloved night-time show. He joined BBC Radio 1 in 1969 and continued until 1976, before moving to San Francisco where he recorded a weekly show broadcast on Radio Luxembourg. He returned to the BBC in the early 1980s and has remained ever since. Johnnie is wheelchair-bound and relies on oxygen from a machine, with his wife of over two decades, Tiggy, caring for him, according to reports. On October 6, the DJ announced his departure from radio on air, telling listeners he was “making a very sad announcement” and promising to “make the last three shows as good as I possibly can”. Helen Thomas, Radio 2 boss, said in a statement that Jonnie was “quite simply a broadcasting legend”, adding: “We are in awe of his incredible legacy which speaks for itself.”
Johnnie with Phil Collins
(Image: Instagram)
Bob Harris, former presenter of The Old Grey Whistle Test, will take over from him on Sounds of the 70s while Shaun Keaveny becomes the new presenter of The Rock Show on November 1. Johnnie’s last episode of The Rock Show airs on October 25 from 11pm-12am and his final episode of Sounds of the 70s will air on Sunday October 27 from 3pm-5pm. Speaking to the Daily Mail, he said: “It will be a huge wrench to hang up my headphones. I feel quite a connection with my listeners because of the passing years.” He added: “I get emails from people who say, ‘I was with you when you were on Radio Caroline’, so we’re talking 58 years ago. Imagine what we’ve been through together.” He emotionally shared: “I feel a great sadness. But I didn’t want to reach a point where the BBC was going to say, ‘Johnnie, we don’t think you’re well enough. Your breathlessness is affecting the show too much’.” He continued with resolve, “I’d rather it was my decision. It just seemed to be the right time because it was getting increasingly challenging to record my shows.”Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnIn the News
