Paul O’Grady was not given a leaving party by the BBC when he departed from his radio show after more than a decade, his former producer has revealed.

The broadcaster, who died last week aged 67, left the BBC last summer after being forced to share his Sunday afternoon slot with a comedian almost half his age.

Malcolm Prince, who produced O’Grady’s show, said the presenter was “disappointed” at his treatment by the BBC and believed Radio 2 had changed since he joined in 2009.

It comes amid an exodus of talent from Radio 2, with veterans including Steve Wright, Vanessa Feltz and Simon Mayo being replaced by younger hosts.

O’Grady, who was told to share presenting duties with 37-year-old comic Rob Beckett, had complained that the BBC was trying to appeal to a “much younger audience, which doesn’t make sense because you’ve got Radio 1”.

Writing in the Radio Times, Prince said of O’Grady: “He was so proud to be working for the BBC.

‘No hamper or leaving party’

“But by the end of it, when Radio 2 told us the show was coming to an end, he was so disappointed with the way he was treated.

“He fulfilled his contract, did as he was asked and then, in August last year, he politely left. There was no hamper or leaving party, or any of that.

“He told me recently that Radio 2 wasn’t what it was when he joined.”

After leaving the BBC, O’Grady moved to Boom Radio to present a two-hour Christmas special, and was scheduled to have another show on Easter Sunday.

Prince, who followed O’Grady to the station, said: “He felt Boom Radio wanted him, and he felt appreciated and valued.”

“The last time I saw him, I told him we’d had a huge response to his show on Christmas Day and we had plans to do a whole series – I played him his new jingle that afternoon for the first time.

“Now, of course, it will never go out on air, but Paul got to hear it and he was chuffed to bits.”

Radio 2 lost more than half a million listeners last year as “golden oldie” rivals ate into its audience share. Greatest Hits Radio and Boom Radio made a dramatic gain in listeners over the same period.