Andrew Neil to leave the BBC this Winter

Andrew Neil to leave the BBC as he has announced that after 25 years he will go with a “heavy heart”.

The broadcaster is leaving his mainstay position with the corporation to pursue a role as the chairman of the all new TV channel GB news.

The new GB News channel will launch later this year and see Neil, 71, at the helm.

Journalist Neil has spent 25-years with the BBC as one of the main anchors for its political content, hosting Daily Politics, The Week, Politics Live, and been the trusted face of election coverage over the years.

In a comment from the BBC they stated that, during his time, Neil had “informed and entertained millions of viewers”.

Neil’s last outing with the BBC will take place in November where he will front much of the coverage of the US Presidential election.

A former, Sunday Times editor, he has never been backwards in coming forwards when interviewing UK politicians. He has made concerted efforts to ensure that truth and honesty was a the heart of UK politics by shining a light to the UK political class and ensuring where ever possible that the viewers received full and fank information.

He even publicly called on Boris Johnson to appear on his show prior to the last UK Elections as he was the only political leader who refused to appear on Neil’s show. He expressed on air that his failure to attend would raise a “question of trust” in the now Prime Minister.

Important thread (for me!): With heavy heart I announce I will be leaving the BBC. Despite sterling efforts by new DG to come up with other programming opportunities, it could not quite repair damage done when Andrew Neil Show cancelled early summer + Politics Live taken off air

— Andrew Neil (@afneil) September 25, 2020

“With heavy heart I announce I will be leaving the BBC,” he wrote on Twitter.

“Despite sterling efforts by new DG (director general) to come up with other programming opportunities, it could not quite repair damage done when Andrew Neil Show cancelled early summer.”

He thanked everyone who had helped him during his time at the BBC, describing them as the “best of the best” and saying the corporation “will always be special to me”.

In a statement, the BBC said, “For years, he was at the heart of the irreverent and much-loved This Week and played a key role in the Daily and Sunday Politics, Politics Live and the BBC’s general election coverage,”

“We are sorry the US election coverage will be his last BBC presentation for the foreseeable future, but he will always be welcome at the BBC.”

BBC statement on @afneil pic.twitter.com/kEK8smC8QN

— BBC News Press Team (@BBCNewsPR) September 25, 2020

The all-new GB News will be a 24-hour news channel which will be in direct competition with the BBC, ITV and Sky News.

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