Douglas breaks radio silence.

Former Radio Two controller Lesley Douglas on her resignation and her new music role

Exclusive By Paul Williams

Former Radio Two controller Lesley Douglas has broken the silence she publicly adopted throughout the Andrew Sachs controversy to reveal exclusively to Music Week why she is joining Universal.

In her first and only interview since quitting her post as controller of Radio Two, 6 Music and popular music on October 30, she tells MW she decided to take up the newly-created post of director of programming and business development because she was determined her career should stay within music.

"I've always known whatever I did, at whatever point, I wanted to continue working with music really because I love it," says Douglas, who was announced in the role last Tuesday, just 26 days after she resigned from the BBC following the controversy arising from phone calls Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross made to actor Andrew Sachs on Brand's Saturday night Radio Two programme.

"I don't think twiddling my thumbs at home really suits me," says Douglas, who describes the period leading up to her resignation and the immediate aftermath as "horrible".

She reveals she did speak to "a few people" about job opportunities following her resignation, but would not dwell on whether they were from other record companies, radio groups or elsewhere. "That wouldn't be fair, would it?" she says.