Chris Moyles says goodbye to Radio 1 breakfast show

Moyles broadcast his penultimate show in front of an audience of more than 200 fans

Chris Moyles has broadcast his final breakfast show on BBC Radio 1, after eight years presenting the flagship programme.

The DJ told listeners: "Thanks for supporting us and, with the risk of sounding ridiculously cheesy, for making all our dreams come true."

Moyles is Radio 1's longest-serving breakfast show DJ. He will be replaced by Nick Grimshaw on 24 September.

He ended the show with a special "goodbye song" recorded by his team.

Moyles cued it up, with his final words: "I've said it a million times, goodbye and thank you."

The lyrics poked fun at the show's history: "We've had a lot of fun, we moaned when we were tired, and every single month we came close to being fired".

The DJ's swansong received more than 120,000 texts from listeners, while others showed their support on Twitter using the hashtag #ByeChrisMoylesShow.

His three-and-a-half-hour programme also featured messages from Coldplay's Chris Martin, Jamie Oliver, McFly and Sir Terry Wogan.

Opening the show, Moyles told listeners he was "proud" of his achievement and said it felt like "some weird victory" after "all the flak we've taken".

His on-air behaviour got him into trouble with broadcasting watchdog Ofcom several times. He accidentally swore at a listener, and was censured for using a derogatory term about women. A parody of gay singer Will Young also landed him in hot water.

"We just got through all of it and here we all are celebrating us, and I'm really proud," said Moyles, who has been at the station for 15 years.

The self-styled "Saviour of Radio 1", the star's audience peaked at 7.9 million in 2010, but listenership has dropped to 6.93 million in recent months.

At 38, Moyles has also been criticised for being too old for Radio 1, which is currently struggling to attract a younger audience.

His replacement is 10 years younger, and has been instructed to play twice as much music as the notoriously talkative DJ.

Goodbye messages

Moyles chose The Streets track Dry Your Eyes and Coldplay's Viva La Vida as his final songs for the show, after a farewell message from Coldplay frontman Chris Martin.

"Just to say from us, well done and congratulations on running the breakfast show so well, for so long. I know you're going to do great, whatever you decide to do," said Martin.

He signed off: "Sending you love and gratitude and all the best. Good day to you, sir."

Ant and Dec hosted a This Is Your Life style farewell during Thursday's celebrity-filled show

TV chef Jamie Oliver also sent a recorded message, as he could not be there himself, along with one of his "top chefs" to cook the team breakfast.

The final show followed a celebrity-filled penultimate broadcast on Thursday, when the DJ was joined by Gary Barlow, Davina McCall and James Corden, plus a live audience of more than 200 fans.

Other celebrities saying goodbye at the BBC's Radio Theatre in London included regular breakfast show guests and friends Billie Piper and Ant and Dec, who gave Moyles a This is Your Life-style farewell.

Moyles joked about his whereabouts next week saying: "What am I going to do?

"I've been here longer than I went to school! I'm so institutionalised, I might just turn up Monday morning and clean."

'McFlyday'

Pop band McFly recorded a special video to their track Star Girl, changing the lyrics in honour of the show's long-running 'McFlyday' feature.

American voice-over man Paul Turner also joined the show, via Skype, live from Philadelphia.

Former Radio 2 breakfast host Sir Terry Wogan sent a recorded video message, joking about the pair's rivalry and Moyles' campaign to get more listeners.

The veteran broadcaster regularly attracted a larger audience than Moyles when they shared the same timeslot.

"Do you know you gave me the best publicity I ever had in my life?" said Wogan. "I owe all my success to you."

Members of the team, including Aled Jones and producer Freya Mehta, were close to tears as they said their on air goodbyes, while newsreader Dominic Byrne said he was reading the news "for the last time" on Radio 1.

Comic Relief boss Richard Curtis also paid Moyles' team a visit in person to thank them for their support of the charity over the years.

The film-makers described them as some "of the greatest fundraisers in the history of Comic Relief", after they raised £10.4 million through various challenges.

Last year, the show raised millions and set a world record when Moyles and sidekick Comedy Dave spent 52 hours on air in a continuous show.