So farewell then, Tim Westwood…..

….whose Radio 1 rap show is to be axed after 20 years. Can you imagine how relieved he must be? Many regard Westwood as a preposterous human being. An ageing phoney from Suffolk dressing and talking like a gangsta from Compton but I love him. He is a true pioneer and his genuine passion for hip hop and rap has had a huge influence on popular culture. He created that hilarious persona, just as Barry Humphries created Dame Edna Everage and made a fortune out of it. But he could never have expected it to go on for so long. Now at last, Tim can cast “Westwood” aside. He can be himself – a 55 year old public school educated son of a bishop. This morning, he can finally eschew Tupac and NWA and play something more in keeping with his ecclesiastical upbringing. God bless him.