Newsnight host Emily Maitlis to leave the BBC along with Jon Sopel
The pair are both leaving to join Global, where they will host a podcast and a radio show on LBC.
Newsnight host Emily Maitlis and the BBC's former North America editor Jon Sopel have both announced that they will be leaving the corporation to join Global.
The pair will front a major new podcast together for Global Player and will also host a new show on LBC, with both journalists confirming the news on Twitter.
It follows a similar path to that of Andrew Marr, who announced he was leaving the BBC to join Global in November 2021.
Meanwhile former head of BBC News Podcasts Dino Sofos – who created Brexitcast, Newscast and Americast – has also joined Global as the executive producer of Maitlis and Sopel's podcast, more details of which will be announced shortly.
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Speaking about the move, Emily Maitlis said: “We are just so delighted to be launching this brand new podcast – which will build on everything we’ve achieved with Americast over the last few years – and it will find new audiences and a new home with Global. I couldn’t be more excited."
On Twitter, she added: "It will be a wrench to leave the BBC after 20 phenomenal years. I am so grateful for the opportunities I’ve had there. More than anything I’m grateful to have worked with the most incredible people - many of whom are dear friends. I owe my BBC colleagues everything."
Elsewhere, Sopel said: “I’m delighted to be joining Global with my great friend and colleague, Emily Maitlis. We’ve been blown away by the reception for Americast, and are so excited that Global has given us the opportunity to build on this success by creating this innovative news podcast. This is an unmissable opportunity.”
"Opportunities like this just don’t come along very often," he added on Twitter. "But am sad to leave the BBC which has been home for so long."
Sopel first joined the BBC in 1983 and has had a variety of roles at the corporation, most recently as North America editor – a position he held for seven years until stepping down late last year.
Meanwhile, Maitlis arrived at the BBC in 2001, initially as a host on BBC London News, and has served as lead anchor on Newsnight since 2018.
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