BBC presenter announces departure after 26-year career with the broadcaster

BBC presenter Mishal Husain has announced her departure after 26 years with the corporation.

The 51-year-old has been a presenter on the Radio 4 Today programme for the last 11 years. She also hosts The Today Debate, and moderated the BBC's UK general election debates.

Mishal joined the BBC in 1998 and was previously a presenter on BBC World News.

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Reflecting on her time at the BBC, she said: "My time at the BBC has 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.

"I will always be grateful for the opportunities the BBC gave me, and wish the organisation and everyone who is part of it the very best."

Currently, Mishal presents the Radio 4 Today show, which discusses news and current affairs, alongside Emma Barnett, Justin Webb, Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson.

Editor of Today, Owenna Griffiths, praised Husain as a "formidable journalist and first-rate presenter" who will be deeply missed by the team, reports the Mirror.

CEO of BBC News Deborah Turness said: "Mishal leaves the BBC with an incredible journalistic legacy. After more than a decade on the Today programme she is going with our gratitude and affection and we wish her the best of luck in her new chapter. I very much hope the BBC and Mishal will get the chance to work together again one day."

Mishal is set to embark on a new journey with Bloomberg. In a statement issued by her new employer, she said: "I am delighted to be fronting a new interview show that will reach audiences in different formats as part of the exciting plans for Bloomberg Weekend Edition.

"Ours is an ever more complex world but the desire for thoughtful conversations crosses all borders. I look forward to working with a new team at Bloomberg - the place which gave me my first job in journalism."

Mishal is one of the BBC's top earners with a salary of up to £345,000 last year.

Mishal's career with the BBC began in 1998 as a producer. She later became a presenter on BBC World News in 2001, covering stories across the globe—from the United States to the Middle East and Asia.

Notably, in 2014, she was the first journalist to report from the school in Peshawar, Pakistan, after it was attacked by the Taliban. Her 2017 engagement interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle also garnered international attention.