The disc jockey Johnnie Walker is well-known - not to say notorious - as another former user of coke, as a consequence of his exposure by The News of the World and its investigative reporter, the 'Fake Sheikh' Mazher Mahmood. Now he has owned up in his autobiography to having been - during a difficult period in his life - a lush as well.

While not wishing to extract any pleasure from another's misfortune, I must admit that the revelation caused momentary amusement by helping me recall a rather old joke. Where did I hear it? The Internet triumphs again. It was Alan Bennett in The Old Country when Hilary observes that "Johnnie Walker could join a club entitled Alcoholics Eponymous, or, with Jack Daniels, Alcoholics Synonymous".

A fan of Walker's since his Radio Caroline days, I was dismayed when he was removed from his Radio 2 Drivetime programme to make way for Chris Evans. Now there was a ginger I felt prejudiced about. Within months of the takeover, however, I found I was much preferring the programme and marvelling at the transformation of Evans into somebody in whose company one was happy to spend an hour or two. He had, in short, grown up. I was very pleased to see his work honoured recently with a Sony award.

Reflecting what she knows to be the opinion of some of her readers, The Daily Telegraph's radio critic Gillian Reynolds this week suggested that Evans - along with Jonathan Ross and Terry Wogan - might be likely candidates for a salary cut to help the cash-strapped BBC out of its current troubles.

I have a far better idea. Get rid of that droning old Sunday-morning bore Michael Parkinson - and his regular cultural commentator, one Gillian Reynolds.