Dan Walker has resigned from BBC Breakfast in order to work for Channel 5. After a 13-year career with the BBC, the 45-year-old broke the news on Twitter, saying it had been a difficult decision. He emphasized, though, that he had been presented with an offer he couldn’t reject.
Walker announced broke the news through a video on twitter
In a video released by Channel 5 News on Twitter, he said to viewers:
“Hello, it’s Dan here. I have a little bit of news for you. In the next few weeks, I’m going to be leaving BBC Breakfast and moving to 5 News and to Channel 5.
“I’m incredibly excited, but this has also been a big decision for me because I adore BBC Breakfast, and I love working with Sally [Nugent] and the rest of the crew.”
“However, Channel 5 came with great goals and big ideas, and I don’t think possibilities like this come along very frequently, so I’m really looking forward to it.”
“Over the last five years, I’ve also had the incredible opportunity of working on some classic series, both at the BBC and elsewhere, and what I love about this arrangement is that I get to not just present the news, but also host a wide range of shows throughout the channel.”
“And what an honor it is to step into Sian Williams’ footsteps.” I know how popular she is among the staff and the public, so all I can promise is that I will do all in my power to uphold her extraordinarily high standards.
“Thank you for watching, and I hope to see you on a television screen soon.”
Walker competed in the most recent series of Strictly Come Dancing for the BBC, coming fifth with partner Nadiya Bychkova.
Walker is not the only one leaving BBC
Walker’s departure from the BBC’s main breakfast show follows a slew of other high-profile departures from the organization. Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel, both BBC journalists, are quitting to start a new podcast and co-host a radio show on LBC. Mark Kermode, a film critic, and Simon Mayo, a radio presenter, are also departing their long-running Friday film review show on BBC Radio 5 Live. From the beginning of May, they’ll be doing a new twice-weekly film and TV podcast series for Sony.