BBC Information presenter Anna Foster to hitch Radio 4 At the moment staff | Radio 4

As Iran was firing scores of ballistic missiles into Israel and Israel was launching a floor invasion into southern Lebanon final autumn, BBC Information presenter Anna Foster was calmly anchoring the tense and sophisticated occasions for the ten o’clock information from Beirut with out an Autocue.

It was an outing that satisfied senior BBC bosses that her expertise of the Center East, in addition to the power to deal with the stress of such a fragile worldwide story, made her the fitting particular person to host the company’s flagship radio information programme.

Foster will grow to be the fifth member of the presenting staff for BBC Radio 4’s At the moment programme, a roster that has been depleted to 4 everlasting members since Mishal Husain’s shock determination to depart the BBC on the finish of final 12 months.

Whereas Foster’s identify had not been amongst these rumoured to be within the operating, BBC insiders stated that her talent in reporting within the Center East meant she had been extremely rated for a while. This was introduced house by her reside anchoring from Beirut, which was on the centre of worldwide information after Hassan Nasrallah, the longtime chief of Hezbollah, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on the town days earlier than.

Foster, a BBC Information at One presenter, will start presenting At the moment from subsequent month. It means the programme will lastly have a whole presenting lineup, alongside Justin Webb, Nick Robinson, Amol Rajan and Emma Barnett.

Many had anticipated the put up to go to the BBC’s Europe editor, Katya Adler. Each she and Sarah Smith, its North American editor, had beforehand stepped in as At the moment presenters. Royal correspondent Jonny Dymond and enterprise editor Simon Jack had additionally introduced the present lately, however appointing certainly one of them would have left just one lady on the common roster.

Some senior BBC figures had additionally been eager for the company to poach a giant determine from one other broadcaster, with a number of stated to have needed ITV’s Julie Etchingham to be approached. She moderated the primary election debate between Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer and was regarded by many as the actual winner from the encounter.

One other determine mentioned was Sky’s Sophy Ridge, who was lately introduced as presenter of the 12 months on the Royal Tv Society awards. John McAndrew, director of programmes for BBC Information, is aware of Ridge’s work from his time at Sky. He has simply been given enormous energy inside the company, heading up the brand new BBC Dwell and Each day Information division.

Nevertheless, an enormous premium was positioned on Foster’s information of worldwide information and specialism within the Center East, having beforehand served as a correspondent within the area. She additionally honed her radio presenting abilities by beforehand internet hosting Radio 5 Dwell’s drive-time present.

Foster’s appointment ends the long-running saga of discovering Husain’s alternative. There was enormous frustration inside the company over the failure to retain Husain, with insiders claiming that extra ought to have been accomplished to maintain her. She left to hitch Bloomberg as editor-at-large and to host a worldwide interview collection.

The weekly viewers for the At the moment programme now stands at 5.73 million, in keeping with the newest trade figures. Whereas it has declined considerably for the reason that 7.5 million it reached in 2016 in the course of the aftermath of the EU referendum, its efficiency is comparatively steady. Extra individuals are additionally listening to it later by way of apps.

The BBC stated tv viewers may nonetheless count on to see Foster on bulletins as main tales break. Foster stated that there have been “few extra thrilling alternatives for a journalist than presenting At the moment, and I’m thrilled to be becoming a member of the staff”.

She stated: “I’ve at all times beloved making vital, agenda-setting, participating radio, and there’s nowhere higher to do this. It’s such a beloved programme to so many individuals, and I can’t wait to be part of it.”

Mohit Bakaya, the controller of Radio 4, stated: “Anna is a terrific addition to the At the moment staff. She brings vital worldwide reporting expertise at a time when it’s wanted so urgently by listeners to Radio 4. She is a superb journalist and expert presenter, and I can’t wait to listen to her, alongside Nick, Amol, Justin and Emma, attending to grips with the vital tales on the nation’s largest speech breakfast programme.”