Emma Barnett is understood to be preparing to step down from BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
The presenter has spent just two years behind the microphone, one of the briefest tenures in the show’s nearly seven-decade history.
The i Paper first reported the news on Friday, with colleagues indicating that an official announcement is anticipated in the coming weeks.
Her expected exit follows closely on the heels of Amol Rajan, who signed off from the programme on September 2 to launch his own production company and YouTube channel.
Emma Barnett has reportedly quit Radio 4’s Today
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A BBC spokesperson told GB News that “there’s always rumour and speculation about Today and its presenters.”
Neither Ms Barnett nor the BBC has formally confirmed the departure.
Rather than departing the corporation entirely, Ms Barnett is understood to be staying at the BBC.
She has reportedly been engaged in lengthy negotiations about heading up a significant new current affairs podcast on the BBC Sounds platform.
Emma Barnett ‘to quit BBC Radio 4’s Today’ days after Amol Rajan exit
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According to BBC insiders, she has already recorded pilot episodes of a more news-focused iteration of her existing Ready to Talk podcast, described as offering “playful and provocative” explorations of topical subjects. The show would reportedly be released multiple times per week.
Colleagues have said the 41-year-old presenter is enthusiastic about moving on to fresh opportunities.
The possibility of Ms Barnett’s departure was first flagged back in January, when The Observer reported that she had begun discussing her future plans with BBC executives just a week after Mr Rajan announced he was leaving.
Ms Barnett’s departure would leave Today with just three permanent presenters: Justin Webb, Nick Robinson and Anna Foster.
Emma Barnett’s departure would leave Today with just three permanent presenters: Justin Webb, Nick Robinson and Anna Foster
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Ms Webb has been on the programme for 17 years, making him the longest-serving member of the current lineup.
One senior figure told The i Paper: “There has to be a new full-time presenter now. And it needs to be someone who is going to stick around.
“Listeners want stability. Amol and Emma were not here very long, compared with past figures.”
By comparison, John Humphrys presented the programme for 32 years before stepping down in 2019.
Her expected exit follows closely on the heels of Amol Rajan
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Insiders have cautioned that losing two presenters in rapid succession risks driving away more of the audience.
Today still attracts 5.8 million weekly listeners, though that figure has fallen steadily from a 2018 peak of 7.8 million.
Several names have been floated as potential candidates to take on a bigger role on the programme. BBC Europe editor Katya Adler and chief political correspondent Henry Zeffman are both said to have impressed senior figures during summer stand-in shifts.
Political editor Chris Mason has also been mentioned as a possible future addition, though bosses may prefer to keep him in post amid the possibility that Andy Burnham could call an early election next spring.
The shake-up at Today comes against a backdrop of sweeping cuts across BBC News, where 200 jobs are set to be eliminated as the corporation redirects resources from broadcast television towards digital output — part of a wider £500 million savings programme.
The opening of a presenting slot could trigger intense competition among editors and correspondents whose own roles are currently under review.
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