News presenter Simon McCoy tipped for a return to the BBC… deepening a row with women who claim they were sidelined and put at risk of redundancy
- BBC bosses are rumoured to think Mr McCoy, 61, could replace Yalda Hakim
- Mr McCoy posted a picture of himself standing in a BBC studio on Facebook
BBC bosses are set to bring back news presenter Simon McCoy, deepening a row with women who claim they were sidelined and put at risk of redundancy.
Rumours are rife at the BBC that chiefs think Mr McCoy, 61, who left for GB News in March 2021, would be a good replacement for Yalda Hakim, 40, who is going to Sky News.
Mr McCoy worked with John McAndrew, the BBC’s new director of news programmes, at GB News for a time. Mr McCoy quit GB in December 2021.
On his Facebook page this month, Mr McCoy posted a picture of himself standing in a BBC news studio.
But sources at the BBC are furious at the prospect of him returning because five female presenters are taking legal action against the Corporation, claiming they are unfairly at risk of redundancy.
Martine Croxall, Karin Giannone, Geeta Guru-Murthy, Kasia Madera, and Annita McVeigh, who between them they have more than 100 years of experience at the BBC, have not worked since March after they accused bosses of unfairly selecting them for redundancy. One source said: ‘It all feels a bit of a boys’ club.
BBC bosses are set to bring back news presenter Simon McCoy (pictured with Emma Samms)
Rumours are rife at the BBC that chiefs think Mr McCoy, 61, who left for GB News in March 2021, would be a good replacement for Yalda Hakim, 40, who is going to Sky News
‘The talk is that Simon could be on his way back to the BBC. He knows John – they worked together at GB News – and now he’s posting pictures of himself in the BBC.
‘It has caused a lot of unrest, especially because there are five women sitting at home on full pay, fighting for their jobs, while the bosses talk about bringing Simon McCoy back.’
The five women were recently told they would be put through another recruitment process in their battle to keep their roles.
Mr McCoy, who married actress Emma Samms in October 2021, quit the BBC after nearly 18 years and was a high profile recruit to present The Great British Breakfast for GB News, alongside Kirsty Gallacher.
But Mr McCoy, whose funny asides between stories have often gone viral, left ten months later, citing personal reasons.
He was replaced by Eamonn Holmes and former Sky News newsreader Isabel Webster.
Australian Ms Hakim will be the lead world news presenter at Sky News and will head a new prime-time programme focused on international news.
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