Radio 3 drivetime presenter Sean Rafferty leaves BBC after 25 years
Sean Rafferty said presenting the show had been a joy and a privilege - Amy T Zielinski/Redferns
Radio 3 presenter Sean Rafferty has announced that he will leave the BBC classical music station.
The presenter, 76, has hosted In Tune since its inception in 1997 but will step down amid a radio reshuffle.
Rafferty, who has hosted the drivetime programme for 25 years, is set to be replaced by colleague Petroc Trelawny.
Trelawny will in turn be replaced as the voice of BBC Radio 3’s weekday Breakfast show by Tom McKinney as production of the programme shifts outside London.
Rafferty is the latest experienced presenter to leave the BBC, following big-name veterans Ken Bruce, Simon Mayo and Vanessa Feltz.
Sam Jackson, controller of BBC Radio 3 and BBC Proms, paid tribute to Rafferty saying: “After over 50 years of broadcasting, nearly three decades of which have been on BBC Radio 3, Sean Rafferty’s impact has been immeasurable – and we all wish him the very best for the future.”
Rafferty said: “I shall miss the truly remarkable and life-enhancing musicians, many coming to the studio ever since they began their careers: a joy.
“And to be able to share it all with the listeners at home us a privilege. They’ve been like family.”
Petroc Trelawny will replace Rafferty on In Tune moving from the Breakfast show - Jude Edginton/BBC
The changes to Radio 3 will take place in 2025. Trelawny will join In Tune alongside Katie Derham.
His previous berth, the Breakfast show, is set to move to the BBC’s base in Salford while In Tune will remain in London.
Trelawny said: “Sean has stylishly and wittily helmed In Tune for three decades, creating a very special space for musicians to perform and share rich insights into their work and their lives.
“That artists, singers, conductors and composers so relish appearing on the show is in a big part thanks to Sean’s personality. His long stewardship of the programme has made it a vital place to celebrate many forms of music making.”
BBC radio stations have reportedly suffered from the “Ken Bruce Effect” as listeners choose to follow favoured presenters to commercial rivals. More than a million listeners abandoned Radio 2’s mid-morning slot following the departure of Bruce.
At the start of 2024, official figures revealed that Radio 2 and Radio 4 each lost about one million listeners, with the latter down by almost 10 per cent. Radio 1 and Radio 5 Live also registered losses, as did the World Service.
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