Vernon Kay revealed he was snubbed by a veteran BBC presenter when he appeared on a hit ITV show. Vernon, 51, appeared on the twentieth series I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! in 2020.
The radio presenter finished the show in third place behind then Radio 1 presenter Jordan North and eventual Queen of the Jungle Giovanna Fletcher. The series was one of two to be filmed at Gwrych Castle in Wales, due to the coronavirus restrictions at the time.
Shortly after the series Vernon joined the BBC as cover for Rylan Clark’s Saturday show. He subsequently went on to act as a stand-in for Steve Wright’s afternoon show before landing the mid-morning slot with the departure of Ken Bruce in 2023.
It was when standing in for former X Factor contestant Rylan that Vernon says he encountered veteran DJ Tony Blackburn in the BBC studios. While Vernon was complimentary of 82-year-old Tony, he revealed he voted for Jordan when the pair appeared on I’m A Celeb.
Vernon told Radio 2 listeners: “I remember when I first joined Radio 2 on a regular basis and Tony was in, I think I was covering for Rylan at the time, and Tony was knocking about. [mimicking] ‘Hey Vernon, hi, yeah great, saw you on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of here!’
“I went, ‘Yeah, I enjoyed it, you enjoyed it too?’, ‘Yeah, I shouldn’t mention it, but I won. I thought you were great but I didn’t vote for you’.
“Like, cheers Tony. Thanks pal. ‘Yeah, I voted for the other guy’. Thanks mate, what a legend Tony Blackburn.”
Vernon went on to describe the presenter as “one of the greats”. He added: “With Tony you can just sit and it’s like when you sit with the greats, when you sit with Bob Harris, when you sit with Gary [Davies], and Mark [Radcliffe], you just sit and take it in.
“They’ve done it, they’ve walked the path, they’ve got a wealth of experience. Especially Tony, he would put records on a record player back in the day and talk at the same time. I can barely use a pen and talk at the same time.”
Vernon explained Tony had to “flip flop” with turntables during his early days on BBC Radio. Tony launched his career in pirate radio, broadcasting on both Radio Caroline and Radio London in the 1960s.
He was the first DJ to be heard on Radio 1 when it launched on 30 September 1967. He later went on to have a television career as well as a singing career.
Tony will be appearing on Radio 2 with Scott Mills tomorrow (January 21). Vernon meanwhile recently revealed he sparked concern from wife Tess Daly after taking a trip to the DIY store on Sunday.
"I had a lovely incident at our local DIY shop yesterday. I went to get some bits – you know how you do that 'Sunday' thing and you go to your local DIY shop... I was walking through the aisles and there was this lovely couple, I think they were going through floor tiles.
"I've got my hoodie up, I've got my bobble hat on, I'm in my joggers – I've not looked in the mirror, I've just walked out of the door."
Vernon explained he was dressed in a manner that would likely irritate his wife, whom he still affectionately refers to as " Strictly Come Dancing's Tess Dal y." She'd ask, "You went out like that? Did anyone see you?" Vernon confessed.
Yet, Vernon went on, it served as a reminder of just how extensive Radio 2's audience truly is: "So I'm in B&Q," he recalled, "and as I'm walking past this couple, maybe five strides past, I hear a 'See you on Monday morning, Vern!' And I said 'Yep, tune in every morning.'
"He didn't look at me, I didn't look at him. It was brilliant. It was just like two mates from school, or work, who see each other on a regular basis every day of the week."
