SACKED Radio Solent presenter Richard Williams will be back on the air before the end of this month.

He has been snapped up by the BBC local radio station's commercial rival Ocean FM and will begin his new night-time programme on Monday, October 25.

Williams controversially lost his job at Radio Solent in August after he and fellow broadcasters James and Alex Lush set up their own company, called Great Beginnings Ltd.

His "great beginning" on Ocean FM was confirmed by its programme controller, Mark Sadler, who said: "It is not often we get the chance to poach an established broadcaster of his calibre.

"We will give him the opportunity to do what he does best, which is talking to listeners about anything they care to phone in about.

"His show was extraordinarily popular at his previous station and I am confident he will be able to build on that success with us."

Bournemouth-born Williams, 34, who now lives at Rownhams, said: "I have been very busy getting a new media company off the ground, but I admit I have missed broadcasting live.

"I just adore listening to all the gossip and views. This is a brilliant job. I think I was born to broadcast."

His Solent show became so popular that it was syndicated across the South-East.

He said he had no regrets over his departure from the BBC, but suggested: "I think they over-reacted."

His new Ocean FM show will go out from Mondays to Thursdays between 8pm and midnight, which he described as his favourite broadcasting time. It will feature an hour of 80s music and three hours of phone-ins.

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