MISHAL Husain has announced she is leaving the BBC after 26 years on air.
Mishal, 51, who will leave in the New Year, has hosted the Today program for the past eleven years and hosted The Today Debate.
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Mishal Husain leaves BBC after 26 years Credit: Rex
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Mishal has been the presenter of the Today program for the past eleven yearsCredit: BBC
She also significantly moderated the BBC’s recent debates on the UK General Election.
Mishal said of her departure: “My time at the BBC included many memorable moments, going to places I would never have seen otherwise, witnessing history and taking part in a live national conversation on Radio 4.
“I will always be grateful for the opportunities the BBC has given me and I wish the organization and everyone involved all the best.”
Owenna Griffiths, editor of Today, added: “Mishal is not only a brilliant journalist and first-rate presenter, she is an extremely generous and thoughtful colleague.
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“It was a great privilege to work with her and, along with the Today team, she will be sorely missed, but I wish her all the best in her new endeavours.”
Deborah Turness, chief executive of BBC News, said: “Mishal leaves the BBC with an incredible journalistic legacy.
“After more than a decade on the Today program, she leaves with our gratitude and affection, and we wish her the best of luck in her new chapter.
“I very much hope that the BBC and Mishal will one day get the chance to work together again.”
Mohit Bakaya, director of speech and controller of BBC Radio 4, said: “Misha’s calm but forensic interviewing style was one of the highlights of her time on the Today programme.
“She is a brilliant journalist with a broad intellectual background. Radio 4 listeners have been awakened by her warm and trusting voice for more than a decade, and we respect her decision to set the alarm for another hour.
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“We will miss her dearly, but we wish her all the best in what comes next.”
Mishal started her career at the BBC in 1998 as a producer.
Then in 2001 she moved to presenting on BBC World News, covering stories from various locations including the US, the Middle East, South Asia, Singapore and China.
In 2014, Mishal made history as the first journalist to enter a school attacked by the Taliban in Peshawar, Pakistan.
Two years later, she gained global attention with her engagement interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2017.
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Mishal interviewed Harry and Meghan about their engagementCredit: PA: Press Association
Since 2013, Mishal has been a member of the Today Program team on BBC Radio 4.
She anchored BBC News at Six and BBC News at Ten as well.
Mishal’s TV documentaries include a three-part series on Mahatma Gandhi.
She has also made documentaries about the 2011 Arab uprisings, Malala Yousafzai and Queen Elizabeth II.
Mishal was live on Radio 4 when the news of Her Majesty’s death was announced.
She presented herself outside Westminster Abbey for the radio broadcast of the funeral. She also reported on the king’s coronation the following year.
Her work has been awarded numerous awards.
In 2023, she was named “Best Contributor to Sound” by the Voice of Viewers and Listeners.
She hosted two election debates for the BBC during the 2024 election campaign, featuring key political figures such as Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer.
This year, she received the London Press Club’s “Broadcaster of the Year” award, and earlier this month, the Charles Wheeler Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Journalism.
It follows a report by The Times that she resigned on Friday.
There were reportedly 18 months of discussion before a decision was made.
An insider told the publication: “After 11 years, Mishal has reached a point where the 3.30am alarm is no longer a welcome sound.”
“She is highly thought of and it will take a lot of effort to get her well placed elsewhere,” they added.
Mishal had previously implied that she was considering leaving.
She told The Sunday Times earlier this year: “I wonder what the next act of my career might look like.”
BBC departures and returns
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Television joined the BBC in 1998 and was previously a presenter on BBC World News Credit: Getty – Contributor
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She notably moderated the BBC’s recent UK General Election DebatesCredit: AFP
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