As Chris Evans took over the Radio 2 breakfast slot last week, we asked you to tell us whether he could fill Terry Wogan’s considerable shoes.
Your opinions varied enormously and showed that while Evans got off to a good start with some listeners, he is a long way from being considered a national treasure à la Wogan.
While Lenzie McMillan described his style as “manic”, and David Price wrote him off as “dissapointing”, long-time TOG Lucy Gannon found herself surprisingly pleased.
“After comfortable and amusing mornings with the saintly Tel, this 61-year-old wasn’t looking forward to the arrival of a chortling half-wit,” she wrote.
“Fortunately, we didn’t get one. Chris Evans is great. A bit noisy and frantic, but surprising, witty, friendly, amusing... Just shows - even the worst adolescents can grow up into real people.”
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But her fellow TOGs were not all as convinced.
“I’m a devoted TOG but was willing to give Chris Evans a chance,” wrote Elizabeth Wright. “However, as I suspected, his manic style is just not suited to a breakfast show.”
It wasn’t just the TOGs who struggled with Evans’s upbeat style. John Sheppard wrote: “Chris Evans needs to learn to jabber less. I have never been one of Terry Wogans Admiring Throng either.”
But Evans shouldn’t be drafting his resignation just yet. Jeremy Slessor told us the host impressed him enough to make him consider dropping Radio 4.
“I suspect the TOGs abandoning Radio 2 in the morning will be easily outnumbered by new listeners.
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“I couldn’t take Terry Wogan at any price and would rather have shouty Evans any day. It has created a dilemma though - do I listen to Today on Radio 4 or Shouty on Radio 2?”
Paul Balmforth was even more impressed. “Mr Evans will in time be rightly seen as one of the greatest broadcasters to come out of this country.”