Broadcaster Eddie Mair has announced he is retiring after 40 years on-air.
The LBC radio host said on Thursday: ‘My only regret about LBC is not joining sooner. I’m having a ball and all things being equal would probably carry on forever.
‘They love radio at Global and support it. But the one thing I don’t have on my side is time.
‘Like many others, during Covid I had a rethink about life and in the summer of 2020 told my bosses and close friends and colleagues about my plans to leave.’
He continued: ‘I’ve been at this for 40 years and I want to have a little time for me before I croak.
‘So I will carry on as a devoted LBC listener but pass things on to someone new and I wish them all the best.’
Sharing a link to his announcement on the LBC website, Mair also joked in a tweet: ‘Apologies for this. There is a war and a cost of living crisis but here is some blah about me.’
Tom Cheal, Managing Editor of LBC, hailed Mair as ‘one of the finest broadcasters of our time’ and said he’d like to thank the presenter for being ‘an integral part of LBC’s success’.
He added: ‘During his four years hosting Drivetime, he has built an incredibly powerful connection with our audience, blending razor-sharp journalism with his trademark wit and warmth.
‘While the whole LBC team will miss Eddie hugely, we have loved working with him and wish him all the very best for his retirement.’
Mair, who hails from Dundee, began his career at Radio Tay in the city, hosting the breakfast show, weekly phone-ins and news programmes.
He also helmed Radio 4’s PM for 20 years and regularly presented a range of news shows, including Newsnight on BBC Two.
Mair later joined LBC in September 2018 to host his own afternoon show. His programme was a hit and he managed to increase his weekly audience by 53%, to 1.1million listeners.
