RADIO presenter Mark Radcliffe defended the way Glastonbury has modernised while speaking at the Hay Festival.

The Radio 2 star who fronts the BBC's television coverage from the Somerset festival said Glastonbury had been forced to adapt to cope with its growing popularity.

Speaking yesterday, Radcliffe said: "Things have to change as you cannot have 120,000 people who have all got in free sitting on hay bales and drinking. It just would not work."

Radcliffe, who celebrated his 50th birthday by playing Glastonbury, recognised the festival had lost some of its free spirit but said it still brought up special moments.

He recounted walking through mud for almost two hours at last year's event searching for a new stage only to find Chas 'n' Dave playing "Rabbit".

Radcliffe also paid tribute to another Glastonbury favourite John Peel while explaining how he made a difference to mainstream radio.

"Without John Peel, people like me would never have had a chance," he said, referring to the late DJ's influence in bringing through a wider range of music and presenters to the radio.

Other topics discussed included David Bowie's fondness for Viz comics and the ability of Marc Riley - Radcliffe's former Radio 1 partner - in making cult comedy clips from old vinyl records.

"Bowie left our studio after an interview and asked for two things," Radcliffe explained.

"One was The Vines album and the other was the Viz annual. Can you imagine David Bowie sat on his own laughing away to Roger Mellie - The Man on the Telly?"