Axed BBC presenters could return as news channel loses star anchor just four months into reset

BBC anchors axed during a revamp of its news channel could return to screens after chief presenter Yalda Hakim quit to join rival Sky News.

Rising star Ms Hakim is leaving just four months after being named one of the five £230,000-a-year “faces” of the revamped BBC News channel, merging domestic and international news.

The Kabul-born Ms Hakim, an award-winning correspondent and documentary filmmaker, will front a new prime-time international news programme for Sky.

She said she was “honoured and excited” to be joining Sky after a decade at the BBC, where she hosted flagship programme The Daily Global on its news channel.

BBC News, which already has had to find cover for Huw Edwards during his suspension, said presenter Maryam Moshiri would take over the 7pm Daily Global show.

But the broadcaster will seek a new chief presenter to maintain its roster of five leading news channel anchors.

This could offer a return to screens for five seasoned presenters “benched” by the BBC after failing to retain their senior roles during the channel merger.

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Figures including Martine Croxall, Geeta Guru-Murthy and Annita McVeigh are believed to have been retained on full pay since losing their permanent on-air roles in April.

A BBC source said: “Yalda had a great decade here and we wish her well. But her departure also opens an opportunity for someone else and the BBC has a wealth of talent more than capable of taking on the role.”

An advert for a new news channel chief presenter will be published with the presenters parked in April “welcome to apply” for the role, the source indicated.

The BBC, under severe financial constraints due to a licence fee freeze, would be unable to match a competitor with “deep pockets” tempting away the likes of Ms Hakim, insiders said.

A competitive internal interview process to choose the five news channel chief presenters concluded with jobs for Ms Hakim, Ms Moshiri, Matthew Amroliwala, Christian Fraser and Lucy Hockings.

Sky News said signing Ms Hakim, who will have the title “lead world news presenter”, demonstrated its “commitment to foreign and eyewitness journalism across digital platforms, television, and audio services globally.”

Ms Hakim, who led BBC World’s coverage of the collapse of the Afghan government in 2021 and reported extensively from the war in Ukraine, said: “I have long admired Sky for its smart, fearless and world-class reporting.”

“At a time when global media must work harder than ever to earn the confidence of our viewers, I look forward to giving my all as part of one of the most talented and accomplished news teams anywhere.”

Sky News is beefing up its evening programming as it faces a 7pm ratings battle from a resurgent GB News, which has benefited from Nigel Farage’s high-profile battle with NatWest.

On Wednesday night, following the resignation of bank CEO Alison Rose, Mr Farage’s show averaged 169,00 viewers, peaking at 223,000 – three times his regular audience before the row – compared to a Sky News average of 62,000 viewers.

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On Tuesday, Mr Farage beat Sky News and BBC News combined between 7-8pm with 122,100 viewers at 7pm, with the BBC having 64,600 viewers and Sky News getting 25,500.

A Sky News reshuffle will also see former Sunday politics show presenter, Sophy Ridge, fronting a new programme every weeknight from 7pm. Ms Hakim will join Sky News at a date to be announced, the broadcaster said.

A Sky insider said: “There’s definitely an all-female vibe developing for prime time (Beth Rigby also hosts a weekly interview show).”

The network is delighted to have poached a star BBC name. The insider said: “We really feel that Sky News is a place where great journalists can do their best work – that’s part of the value proposition we offer talent.”

“Journalists look at how we’re committed and investing in our foreign coverage – Stuart Ramsay in Myanmar, Alex Crawford in Mexico – and they think they want to be a part of it.”