Name-sake town trip for DJ Tony Blackburn (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Name-sake town trip for DJ Tony Blackburn

2:00pm Tuesday 3rd April 2012 in Blackburn By Catherine Pye, Health reporter

RADIO legend Tony Blackburn will present a one-off show from his name-sake town next month.

As part of BBC Radio 2’s ‘2DAY 2012’ event, the veteran DJ will play in front of a live audience at the Thwaites Empire Theatre in Ewood from 9am to 10am on Thursday, May 10.

The Pick of the Pops presenter will be kept company by fellow radio stars Janice Long and Mark Radcliffe, and there will be local insight from Blackburn-born comedian Lee Mack.

Michael Berry, managing director of the theatre, said: “We got a call from the Radio 2 producer about two or three weeks ago to say that he’d heard we had a lovely, intimate theatre, and would we be interested in hosting a show.

“Well we’d be idiots to say no really!

“It’s a lovely opportunity to have, and it will help build on the growing reputation we have.

“All credit has to go to our team of volunteers who work tirelessly to make the theatre what it is.”

The 2DAY event turns the normal Radio 2 schedule upside down for 12 hours, bringing together a mix of presenting talent, broadcasting from different locations across the UK.

It was first launched in 2011, and this year, Chris Evans, Sir Terry Wogan, Steve Wright, Jamie Cullum, Ken Bruce, Johnnie Walker, Bob Harris, Claudia Winkleman and Vanessa Feltz, will all be taking part.

Lewis Carnie, head of Radio 2 programming said: “Our audience’s listening habits mean they tend to tune in at the same times every day so they’re only exposed to a small amount of what Radio 2 has to offer.

“The feedback we had from listeners about last year is that they thoroughly enjoyed the day, with six in 10 listeners wanted more of the same so this year, we’re giving them exactly what we want.”

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