Mary Blance first joined BBC Radio Shetland in 1978 as a secretary and receptionist, only eighteen months after the station launched. She grew up in Lerwick and studied at Aberdeen University before beginning her BBC tenure. Blance previously retired from the BBC in 2000 after roles as a station assistant, producer, senior producer, and presenter.
The BBC encouraged listeners to tune in to her final Books Programme via BBC Sounds. Fans responded warmly on social media, with comments expressing love and wishing her a happy retirement. Beyond broadcasting, Blance chairs Shetland ForWirds, a group dedicated to promoting the Shetland dialect through storytelling.
Her future plans after this retirement, as well as who will replace her on the Books Programme, have not been announced. The specific content of her last show on 26 March also remains unknown.