No matter what they do – or rather, say – BBC presenters simply cannot help getting it in the neck.
Sometimes they are collateral damage in the war between the corporation and those who rail against its perceived prejudices. Some presenters, though, are naturally divisive and endure near constant sniping on social media.
Not only do Radio 4’s Emma Barnett and Nick Robinson, for instance, irritate more than their fair share of listeners – it is now claimed they rub each other up the wrong way too.
So much so, according to insiders, that they rarely present the flagship news show Today together. They have not done so for more than 90 days, a longer gap than between any other presenters, The Times reported yesterday. It is said to have caused scheduling difficulties.
Insiders speak of ‘clashing egos’ and what one insider called ‘inevitable stresses and strains caused by the pairing of two strong characters’.
But other BBC sources yesterday sought to dampen the speculation, pointing out that ‘schedules have been out of the ordinary lately’ following presenter Mishal Husain’s departure last year.
Many lament the absence of Ms Husain’s calming, unerring poise. She was always polite too. Regular Today listeners point out that Ms Barnett, 40, who used to host Women’s Hour, is an altogether different presenter with a far more ‘abrasive’ interviewing style.
Only yesterday, she drew a slew of complaints on social media for the way she hectored Heathrow’s chief executive over the fire at an electricity substation which grounded flights on Friday.
Nick Robinson and Emma Barnett have not presented the Today programme on Radio 4 for more than 90 days
Ms Barnett is described as being a far more ‘abrasive interviewer’ than co-host on BBC Radio 4 Nick Robinson
Before their last outing, in mid-December, Ms Barnett and Robinson (pictured) – frequently criticised for allegedly reporting with a pro-Conservative bias – had shared the studio three times in more than 150 days
One X user criticised her ‘whining, repetitive questions’. Another said: ‘What is the point of constantly interrupting and not letting people answer?’
It has been suggested Ms Barnett and Ms Husain, 52, didn’t get on, and that before she left Ms Husain hadn’t been ‘terribly happy’ with the direction of the show. Tellingly, according to some, Ms Barnett was absent from the Today studio for her colleague’s farewell broadcast in December, attended by presenters old and new.
What lies at the heart of the apparent tension between Ms Barnett and Robinson, meanwhile, is unclear. One source indicated it was possibly to do with an on-air slight late last year but declined to say who was on the receiving end.
The weekly audience for Today now stands at 5.73 million, according to industry figures. While it has declined since the 7.5 million it reached in 2016, its performance is relatively stable. More people are also listening to it later via apps.
It was a pressing need to restore some of the show’s equilibrium that explained why BBC bosses wanted someone similarly unflappable to replace Ms Husain. With 25 years’ experience, Europe Editor Katya Adler was widely seen as a shoo-in. Instead, the job went to Beirut-based Middle East correspondent, Anna Foster, 45.
She had already impressed radio bosses by presenting the drive time programme on Radio 5 Live for nearly a decade.
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 also seen as a key factor.
Ms Barnett was absent from the Today show for Mishal Husain’s leaving do in December 2024
‘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,’ said an insider.
Others expressed hopes yesterday that her relaxed style will have a ‘pacifying’ effect on her fellow presenters.
Before their last outing, in mid-December, Ms Barnett and Robinson – frequently criticised for allegedly reporting with a pro-Conservative bias – had shared the studio three times in more than 150 days.
In total they have co-presented 13 times, well short of any other pairings who have generally shared duties on more than 20 occasions, according to The Times