Three BBC News hosts quit show after being forced into ‘humiliating’ auditions to keep their jobs
THREE BBC News hosts have quit the show after being forced into ‘humiliating’ auditions to keep their jobs.
David Eades, Joanna Gosling, and Tim Willcox have taken voluntary redundancy after the BBC revealed its plans to merge its international and UK news channels.
Joanna is expected to leave at the end of the month, while David has already presented his final show.
Meanwhile Tim’s final day in the job is yet to be confirmed.
Last week it was reported that more than a dozen presenters could lose their positions due to a rebrand which will see BBC News and BBC World News channels merged.
The move means there will be no dedicated domestic news service for viewers in the UK from the spring.
Read More on BBC News
According to the i newspaper, there will be just five presenting positions on the BBC News Channel under the plans and current hosts asked to undergo a studio-based “practical test” lasting 40 minutes.
Those who fail to impress could face being sacked.
Joanna, 51, has been a BBC presenter for 23 years and made headlines last month when she fought back tears while reporting on the deaths of three young boys in Solihull.
High-profile presenters including Huw Edwards, Fiona Bruce and Clive Myrie are thought to have been spared having to re-apply.
The BBC is expecting to save more than £1million a year by cutting the numbers of presenters.
The broadcaster hopes to find new roles for some of those affected.
The merged channel will broadcast from London in the daytime and Singapore and Washington at other times.
The BBC previously declined to comment on the screen tests when approached by The Sun Online.