Radio 2 system malfunctions leaving Vernon Kay scrambling to play CDs in on-air chaos

For use in UK, Ireland or Benelux countries only Undated BBC handout photo of Vernon Kay who has promised it will be "more of the same" ahead of his first mid-morning weekday BBC Radio 2 show today. Issue date: Monday May 15, 2023.

Vernon Kay has had to use CDs to play music on BBC Radio 2 after the station’s digital system failed.

The radio presenter, 50, was playing The Who’s Won’t Get Fooled Again when the issue occurred towards the end of his show on Thursday.

The track cut out at around 11.30am, and he came back on air laughing and saying “this has never happened to me, where the computer system has just failed”.

He appealed for listeners to get in touch, as the screen in front of him said the song was playing but he could not hear it in the studio.

Kay appeared to not know for certain that the broadcast was silent, saying: “I don’t think it’s playing out because it’s gone deadly silent in the studio, which is quite strange… but I’m fascinated by it because these things excite me when things go wrong on air.”

Fellow presenter Jeremy Vine, who follows Kay at midday, chimed in, saying he was experiencing issues in his studio when he was “practising” his weekday show.

They tried to play the next tracks but they also could not be heard, and Kay said they would instead be forced to do some “chatting for 30 minutes”.

A staff member came in with CDs in a box, while Vine continued to preview his show, which was to include General Election coverage and him putting on an age simulation suit, which makes the wearer’s feet heavier and muffles sound.

Bolton-born broadcaster Kay let Vine continue as he tried to help with repairing the issue, and played Harry Styles track Treat People With Kindness on a CD.

He joked that the Radio 2 team was “running down to the basement to get some cassettes and some MiniDiscs” to keep the music going.

After playing a recording of his interview with Glastonbury act Shania Twain, previously broadcast on Sunday, he said the system was “up and running” and “we’re back to normal” at around 11.50am.

A BBC spokeswoman said the issue “was a technical fault which was quickly fixed”.