Radio 4’s Mishal Husain announces departure from BBC

RADIO and TV presenter Mishal Husain will leave the BBC in the New Year to join Bloomberg, the broadcaster has confirmed.

Husain, a co-presenter on Radio 4’s flagship Today programme for 11 years, will host a new Bloomberg interview series and take on the role of editor-at-large for its Weekend Edition.

Reflecting on her BBC career, which began in 1998, Husain said it had "involved many memorable moments, going to places I would never otherwise have seen, witnessing history and being part of live, national conversation on Radio 4." She expressed gratitude to the BBC and wished the organisation well.

Today programme editor Owenna Griffiths called Husain "a formidable journalist and first-rate presenter" and praised her as "a generous and thoughtful colleague."

Husain, 51, earned between £340,000 and £344,999 last year for her work at the BBC, which included presenting Today, BBC News at Six and Ten, and moderating election debates. Her career highlights include interviewing the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, reporting on the Arab Spring, and covering the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and the King's coronation.

In a statement from Bloomberg, Husain said, "I am delighted to be fronting a new interview show... Ours is an ever more complex world but the desire for thoughtful conversations crosses all borders."

Husain started her journalism career at Bloomberg Television in the 1990s before joining the BBC. Her recent book, Broken Threads: My Family From Empire to Independence, was a Sunday Times bestseller.

Her departure follows Martha Kearney’s exit from Today earlier this year. Possible replacements include Katya Adler, Rachel Burden, and Anushka Asthana, according to media reports.