SCOTTISH broadcaster Eddie Mair has announced he will retire later this year.

The 56-year-old has hosted the weekday Drivetime programme on LBC – Global’s commercial news and talk radio station.

Mair, who previously worked on a variety of BBC radio and television programmes, has said he will step down from his role in August this year, on his four-year anniversary of joining LBC.

The broadcaster said: “My only regret about LBC is not joining sooner. I’m having a ball and all things being equal would probably carry on forever. They love radio at Global and support it.

“But the one thing I don’t have on my side is time. Like many others, during Covid I had a rethink about life and in the summer of 2020 told my bosses and close friends and colleagues about my plans to leave.

“I’ve been at this for 40 years and I want to have a little time for me before I croak. So I will carry on as a devoted LBC listener but pass things on to someone new and I wish them all the best.”

The Scotsman began his career at Radio Tay, a local radio station in his home city of Dundee, where he hosted the breakfast show, weekly phone-ins and news programmes.

Mair joined the BBC in 1987 as a sub-editor for Radio Scotland and later joined Radio Five Live after its launch in 1994, presenting the Midday with Mair news show.

In 2003 he became the presenter of BBC Radio 4’s evening news and current affairs programme PM, a role he held for 20 years.

He also occasionally presented Newsnight on BBC Two and Any Questions on Radio 4.

He left the BBC in August 2018 before joining LBC where he hosts the weekday afternoon show from 4-6pm.

His show was recently cut by an hour to accommodate Andrew Marr's new programme.