The BBC seem to be having some difficulties filling their top job. Laura Kuenssberg is off as the corporation’s political editor after nearly seven years in the post, prompting a bun fight for the most high-profile job in British broadcasting. Yet it seems many of the would-be candidates have other ideas. First Mr S revealed that the deadline for applicants had been extended by a fortnight. And now he can tell his readers that in doing that the Corporation opened it up to outsiders too, despite the job originally being advertised as an internal appointment only.
The decision to widen the net was likely prompted by a number of BBC stars ruling themselves out of the competition despite a prospective salary north of £250,000. The early front-runner Vicki Young, Kuenssberg’s deputy, was quick to rule herself out. Chris Mason also wasn’t keen. And now the next in-line Jon Sopel — newly available after returning last year from his stint as North America editor — has also pulled out of the race by revealing that he is to quit the BBC to go and work for rival radio giant Global.
Sopel, a BBC lifer, will shortly leave the Corporation, along with the equally high-profile Emily Maitlis, the Newsnight host who conducted the 2019 interview with Prince Andrew. The pair are instead off to launch a new podcast, working with another Beeb ex-colleague Dino Sofos with whom Maitlis worked on BBC shows Brexitcast, Newcast and Americast. First Andrew Marr and now Maitlis and Sopel — how many other stars does Global plan to shower in gold?
While both have written on Twitter of their pride at the new show, Steerpike’s spies tell him that something of a ‘stop Sopel’ movement had begun to gather momentum within the Corporation to stop him from getting the pol ed job. ’Jon was never the real BBC favourite even if he wanted to be’ snipes Mr S’s mole. But who is? BBC staff under consideration are said to include political correspondent Alex Forsyth and Today host Amol Rajan.
But could they look further afield? A recent survey to selected hacks by the New Statesman put Sam Coates — currently deputy political editor of Sky News — as the favourite alongside Vicky Young. With Young out, could Coates step in? Or maybe Paul Brand of ITV, fresh off the back of his partygate scoops? Perhaps even Pippa Crerar of the Mirror as a dark horse candidate, given the number of tweets she has mysteriously deleted in recent days…
Looks like the next incumbent’s appointment will cause as much drama as they report.
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