"I’m wondering what the next act of my career might look like."
Reportedly, Mishal Husain is set to leave Radio 4’s Today programme after 11 years.
The presenter is believed to have been talking to BBC bosses about moving to a new role at the corporation once she departs her current job.
Mishal joined Today in 2013 and will reportedly be on air until the new year.
The Times reported that in January 2025, she is likely to take up a long-service benefit which lets people take up to five weeks of extra paid leave if they have been working at the BBC for more than 25 years.
It is unclear if Mishal will return fully to Today after that leave has been taken.
One source said: “After 11 years, Mishal has reached the point where the 3:30 am alarm call is no longer a welcome noise.
“She is very highly thought of and there will be an extremely big effort to make sure she’s accommodated well elsewhere.”
In June 2024, Mishal Husain hinted that she may leave the current affairs radio show when she said she was “thinking about what is beyond Today“.
She had said: “I’m wondering what the next act of my career might look like.
“I’ve been very lucky to work with great colleagues for many years.”
BBC Europe Editor Katya Adler and ITV News’ Deputy Political Editor Anushka Asthana are among the names touted as a replacement.
In recent months, there has been speculation that Mishal Husain has not been happy since Emma Barnett joined the presenting line-up. But there is no evidence this is linked to her departure.
One industry source said: “She [Mishal] has not been terribly happy since Emma came.”
Mishal Husain started out as a city reporter for English language outlet The News in Islamabad, Pakistan, at 18.
After working at Bloomberg Television, she joined the BBC in 1998 as a junior producer for News 24, now BBC News.
Mishal previously served as the channel’s Washington correspondent during the Iraq invasion and occasionally anchors the News At Ten on weekdays.
She chaired two general election debates including a head-to-head clash between Sir Keir Starmer and then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
But in September 2024, the presenter came under criticism for failing to sufficiently challenge “antisemitic” comments made by Today guest American-Iranian political analyst Mohammad Marandi.
Following a backlash from Jewish organisations, the BBC admitted it should have “continued to challenge” Mohammad Marandi’s language during the live interview.
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