Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel are saying goodbye to BBC News. The two veteran BBC journalists, who previously hosted the Americast podcast together and have around 60 years of BBC experience between them, announced on Tuesday, Feb. 22 that they are leaving the corporation to embark on an “innovative project,” the launch of a new podcast for LBC’s parent company Global.
Maitlis, who joined the BBC in 2001, announced the news on Twitter, where she told her followers that she and Sopel were “going to launch a brand new podcast with [Global].” Maitlis called the new venture “an amazing opportunity to do something we all love,” adding that she and Sopel “are so thrilled Global is giving us this opportunity to be big and ambitious with this project.” Sopel also shared the news on his own account, where she said he and Maitlis are “excited to be working with Global on what he called an “innovative project.”
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“Opportunities like this just don’t come along very often. But am sad to leave the BBC which has been home for so long,” he continued. “The [Global] team are full of ambition for this, and we’re delighted to be working again with the brilliant [Dino Sofos], who helped us launch [Americas] two years ago, and who has now set up his own production company [Persephonica].”
The pair’s podcast is set to be produced by the BBC’s Dino Sofos, who also shared the news on his own account. Sofos described the podcast as “ambitious” and said he “can’t wait to be reunited with these broadcasting legends as exec producer on this milestone moment for podcasting. More soon!” Further details about the podcast haven’t been revealed at this time. Meanwhile, BBC News Interim Director Jonathan Munro said, “We’d like to thank both Emily and Jon for their many years of sterling service to the BBC and wish them the very best in their new endeavours at Global.”
Maitlis and Sopel BBC News veteran heavyweights. After first joining the corporation in 2001, Maitlis has presented Newsnight since 2006, winning a Royal Television Society award for her interview with Prince Andrew in 2019. Sopel joined the broadcaster in 1983 and has held senior roles including North America Editor. In 2020, the two teamed up alongside BBC’s chief North American reporter Anthony Zurcher to start the Americast podcast. Their departure from BBC and move to Global follows that of Andrew Marr, who moved from the BBC to Global at the end of 2021.
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