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Jeremy Paxman to quit Newsnight after 25 years Jeremy Paxman to quit Newsnight after 25 years
(about 5 hours later)
Jeremy Paxman has announced he is to quit his job as rottweiler-in-chief at Newsnight after 25 years. Jeremy Paxman – famous for asking Michael Howard the same question a dozen times – has announced he is to quit his job as rottweiler-in-chief at Newsnight after 25 years.
The broadcaster – famous for asking Michael Howard the same question 12 times – joined BBC2's flagship late-night news show as a presenter in 1989. The BBC said Paxman had informed them of his decision to step down last summer, but he had agreed to stay on for another year under the new editor, Ian Katz, who was brought in to stabilise the programme after the Jimmy Savile and Lord McAlpine crises.
The BBC said Paxman had informed them of his decision to step down last summer, but had agreed to stay on for another year under the new editor, Ian Katz, who was brought in to stabilise the programme after the Jimmy Savile and Lord McAlpine crises. The presenter, who is about to turn 64, will also continue in his role as presenter of University Challenge, but has not yet been lined up to take on a new job in BBC News. There was no comment from Paxman in the BBC statement announcing his departure, but the corporation said he would host his final Newsnight in June.
The presenter, who is about to turn 64, will continue in his role as presenter of University Challenge. He will host his final Newsnight show in June. Long thought to be the best-paid presenter in news, Paxman earned about £800,000 a year for his work on Newsnight and University Challenge.
Long thought to be the best-paid presenter in BBC News, Paxman earned about £800,000 a year for his work on Newsnight and at University Challenge. Newsnight ratings have dropped to 600,000 viewers a night from 800,000 in 2010. Paxman, though, has long been the programme's most popular presenter.
The announcement that he is stepping down comes after reports that Newsnight ratings have slumped to 600,000 viewers a night. Paxman, though, has been the programme's most popular presenter. Despite a career spanning more than four decades in the BBC, Paxman has been well known, for outspoken criticism of his employer. In October 2013, he said he had "seriously considered" quitting Newsnight after the Savile and McAlpine scandals dented the reputation of the programme.
He did not spare his employer, despite a career spanning over four decades in the organisation. In October 2013, the pugilistic presenter said he had "seriously considered" quitting Newsnight after the Savile and McAlpine scandals dealt a hammer blow to the reputation of the BBC2 show. And a fortnight ago remarks made in an interview with the Guardian angered bosses at the BBC: "There's a pile of stuff on the BBC I can't stand," he said in the interview. "My idea of hell is going down in one of the lifts in that ghastly new building [New Broadcasting House] in a lift which has Radio 1Xtra plumbed into it. I don't quite understand why the BBC does Radio 1Xtra … The BBC has got an unfortunate history of never seeing an area of broadcasting, or increasingly a web presence, without feeling the need to get into it itself."
Then a fortnight ago he complained in an interview with the Guardian: "There's a pile of stuff on the BBC I can't stand. My idea of hell is going down in one of the lifts in that ghastly new building [New Broadcasting House] in a lift which has Radio 1Xtra plumbed into it. I don't quite understand why the BBC does Radio 1Xtra." That prompted the Radio 1 boss, Ben Cooper, to ask him to "consider" the impact his opinions had on other parts of the BBC.
That prompted the Radio 1 boss Ben Cooper to ask him to "consider" the impact his opinions had.
Some of Paxman's more memorable moments as the presenter of Newsnight include his 1998 interview with Denis Halliday, a United Nations humanitarian coordinator who had resigned his post in Iraq. Questioning his motives, Paxman asked him: "Aren't you just an apologist for Saddam Hussein?"Some of Paxman's more memorable moments as the presenter of Newsnight include his 1998 interview with Denis Halliday, a United Nations humanitarian coordinator who had resigned his post in Iraq. Questioning his motives, Paxman asked him: "Aren't you just an apologist for Saddam Hussein?"
It was a performance that he repeated in 2003 when interviewing Tony Blair about his decision to invade Iraq. Chairing a debate in front of a live audience, Paxman asked Blair if he and the US president, George Bush, prayed together. Blair answered: "No Jeremy. We do not pray together." It was a performance that he repeated in 2003 when interviewing Tony Blair about his decision to invade Iraq. Chairing a debate in front of a live audience, Paxman asked Blair if he and the US president, George Bush, prayed together. Blair answered: "No, Jeremy. We do not pray together."
In a statement, Tony Hall, the director general of the BBC, said: "This is a particularly poignant moment for me, because I have known Jeremy and relished working with him since the day I joined the BBC in 1973. And I am therefore better placed than most to know what a remarkable job he has done at Newsnight. Paxman came under fire for his interview with George Galloway in 2005 where, following Galloway's victory over Labour's Oona King, he asked: "Mr Galloway, are you proud of having got rid of one of the very few black women in parliament?" Last year, Downing Street demanded a full and public apology from Paxman after he called the prime minister a "complete idiot" over his plans for the first world war centenary.
As one of four presenters of the flagship BBC2 show, alongside Kirsty Wark, Emily Maitlis and the newly appointed Laura Kuenssberg, it is not clear who will replace him as the programme's lead anchor once he departs in June.
However, now that Kuenssberg has been lured to the programme from ITV, the BBC may favour an ensemble approach as favoured by Radio 4's Today programme.
Among the names touted to join Newsnight are the presenter of the Radio 4 programme PM, Eddie Mair, who made waves with his interview with Boris Johnson in 2013 where he branded the London mayor "a nasty piece of work".
The bookmaker Paddy Power has already started taking bets on who will be his replacement, with Kuenssberg currently ahead at 4/5 and the new presenter of the Today programme, Mishal Husain, at 8/1.
Tony Hall, the director general of the BBC, said: "This is a particularly poignant moment for me, because I have known Jeremy and relished working with him since the day I joined the BBC in 1973. And I am therefore better placed than most to know what a remarkable job he has done at Newsnight.
"His is a rare and dazzling talent. He has a unique ability to create moments of real discomfort for politicians and memorable delight for audiences. For that cussed brilliance and much more besides, the BBC and our audiences will always be in his debt.""His is a rare and dazzling talent. He has a unique ability to create moments of real discomfort for politicians and memorable delight for audiences. For that cussed brilliance and much more besides, the BBC and our audiences will always be in his debt."
James Harding, the BBC's director of news, said Paxman had become the "great lion of BBC journalism" and would be sorely missed. Katz added: "I'm deeply grateful to him for delaying his departure to help renew the programme, and for the extraordinary support and generosity he has shown."
"Jeremy has led from the front: fearless, aggressive and persistent. He never failed to ask the difficult questions and always refused to accept glib or deceptive answers. Of course we will miss him but he has set standards for our journalism that the rest of us must follow. It is thought that Paxman is prepared to consider presenting some programmes for rival broadcasters, although his agent declined to comment.
"We accept his decision to move on but I think it is fair to say that the only people really celebrating his decision will be the politicians and public figures he has so often and so brilliantly held to account." Despite the looming general election next year, there are no plans for Paxman to work on any other programmes at the BBC at the moment other than University Challenge – although the corporation said it would be open to working with him on more shows.
It is thought that Paxman may present some programmes for rival broadcasters, although his agent declined to comment. Despite the forthcoming general election, there are no plans for him to do any other programmes at the BBC at the moment other than University Challenge – although the corporation said it would be open to working with him on more shows.