BBC Radio 2 DJ Johnnie Walker shares sad reason for retirement as he opens up on terminal illness

BBC Radio 2 DJ Johnnie has said he is "not worried about dying" as he opened up about his terminal illness after announcing the end of his 58-year radio career.

The much-loved DJ, who hosts the Sound of the 70s and The Rock Show on the BBC station, shared his fears about what his final moments may look like and why he decided it was time to end his radio career.

The 79-year-old radio presenter announced last weekend that he was retiring from radio after nearly 60 years due to his ill health, having been previously diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Johnnie told listeners he would be stepping down from presenting on BBC Radio 2 at the end of October.

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In a new interview with the Daily Mail, the DJ said he was "not worried about dying". Johnnie is wheelchair-bound and relies on oxygen from a machine, with his wife of more than two decades, Tiggy, caring for him, according to the paper.

He said: "I have an unshakeable belief in an after-life. I think it's a beautiful place. Unless you've done some awful things down here, I don't think there's anything to fear."

But, he added: "What I am a little bit frightened of is what the end will be like when you're fighting for breath. It doesn't sound a very nice way to go." The NHS says IPF is a condition "in which the lungs become scarred and breathing becomes increasingly difficult".

It is not clear what causes IPF, according to the NHS, and there is "currently no treatment that can stop or reverse the scarring of the lungs".

Birmingham-born presenter Walker began his radio career in 1966 on Swinging Radio England, an offshore pirate station. He later moved to Radio Caroline, where he became a household name hosting the hugely popular night-time show.

Walker went on to join BBC Radio 1 in 1969, continuing until 1976, with him later moving to San Francisco, where he recorded a weekly show broadcast on Radio Luxembourg. He returned to the BBC in the early 1980s and has remained ever since.

Announcing his radio departure on air on October 6, Johnnie told listeners he was "making a very sad announcement" and vowed he would "make the last three shows as good as I possibly can".

Radio 2 boss Helen Thomas said in a statement that Johnnie was "quite simply a broadcasting legend", adding: "We are in awe of his incredible legacy which speaks for itself."

Former The Old Grey Whistle Test presenter Bob Harris will take over from him on Sounds of the 70s while Shaun Keaveny becomes the new presenter of The Rock Show on November 1. Johnnie's last episode of The Rock Show airs on October 25 from 11pm until 12am and his final episode of Sounds of the 70s will air on Sunday October 27 from 3pm until 5pm.

He told the Daily Mail: "It will be a huge wrench to hang up my headphones. I feel quite a connection with my listeners because of the passing years. I get emails from people who say, 'I was with you when you were on Radio Caroline', so we're talking 58 years ago. Imagine what we've been through together."

He added: "I feel a great sadness. But I didn't want to reach a point where the BBC was going to say, 'Johnnie, we don't think you're well enough. Your breathlessness is affecting the show too much'. I'd rather it was my decision. It just seemed to be the right time because it was getting increasingly challenging to record my shows."