BBC News at One presenter Anna Foster upsets favourites as she replaces Mishal Husain on Radio 4’s Today programme
The BBC‘s Anna Foster is set to be named as Mishal Husain’s replacement on Radio 4’s flagship Today programme, it emerged last night.
The journalist, 45, currently presents the BBC’s News at One and was the Corporation’s Beirut-based Middle East correspondent.
She had already impressed radio bosses by presenting the drive time programme on Radio 5 Live for nearly a decade.
Ms Foster, a mother of two, will join the Today line-up of Nick Robinson, Justin Webb, Amol Rajan and Emma Barnett, and she replaces Ms Husain who left in December.
Her expertise in foreign reporting, including her extensive knowledge of the Middle East at a time when the region is frequently at the top of the news agenda, was seen as a key factor in securing the job.
‘Anna is not necessarily a household name yet, but she is very well respected at the BBC, a cool head under pressure and seen as both professional and able to engage listeners – making difficult subjects interesting,’ a BBC insider told The Sunday Times.
Ms Foster beat several high-profile journalists to the coveted role, including Europe editor Katya Adler, and her North America counterpart Sarah Smith.
Others linked with the job included ITV‘s Julie Etchingham and Sky’s Sophy Ridge.
Anna Foster is set to be named as Mishal Husain’s replacement on Radio 4’s flagship Today programme
Ms Husain announced in November that she was leaving the Corporation to host an interview series for US news agency Bloomberg
The departure of Ms Husain, 52, provoked dismay among her BBC colleagues, with some criticising station executives for not doing more to keep her
The departure of Ms Husain, 52, provoked dismay among her BBC colleagues, with some criticising station executives for not doing more to keep her.
When her exit was announced, Nomia Iqbal, the BBC’s North America correspondent, said: ‘To say Mishal Husain is a huge loss for the BBC doesn’t come close.’
Ms Husain had presented the programme for 11 years. She announced in November that she was leaving the Corporation to host an interview series for US news agency Bloomberg.
