Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel have announced they are leaving the BBC to join media group Global.
The pair will front a new podcast for Global Player, host a radio show together on LBC and provide commentary and analysis for the station’s website.
Maitlis has served as the lead presenter on Newsnight while Sopel was formerly the broadcaster’s North America editor.
The pair also host the BBC’s popular Americast podcast about US politics.
Announcing her departure from the BBC on Twitter, Emily Maitlis said: “Some work news – @BBCJonSopel and I are going to launch a brand new podcast with @Global, exec produced by @dinosofos. It’s an amazing opportunity to do something we all love, and we are so thrilled Global is giving us this opportunity to be big and ambitious with this project.
“@dinosofos has been the powerhouse behind Brexitcast, Newscast and Americast, and we are delighted his new company @persephonica will be producing this major new podcast with Global.
Some work news: @maitlis and I are going to launch a brand, spanking new podcast with @global. We’re excited to be working with them on this innovative project. Opportunities like this just don’t come along very often. But am sad to leave the BBC which has been home for so long. pic.twitter.com/P1y9UZYUyp
— Jon Sopel (@jonsopel) February 22, 2022
“Nevertheless, it will be a wrench to leave the BBC after 20 phenomenal years. I am so grateful for the opportunities I’ve had there. More than anything I’m grateful to have worked with the most incredible people – many of whom are dear friends. I owe my BBC colleagues everything.”
Jon Sopel, who was formerly the BBC’s North America editor, said on Twitter: “Some work news: @maitlis and I are going to launch a brand, spanking new podcast with @global.
"We’re excited to be working with them on this innovative project. Opportunities like this just don’t come along very often. But am sad to leave the BBC which has been home for so long.”
Founder and executive president of Global, Ashley Tabor-King, said: “Emily and Jon are world-class broadcasters and journalists, and it’s an incredibly exciting time to be welcoming them to the Global family.
“LBC has seen record-breaking growth, there’s tremendous appetite for visualised shows on Global Player, and original journalism by our teams on lbc.co.uk is in millions of news feeds every month.”
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