Yahoo News BBC to end political show 'This Week' as Andrew Neil steps down
Long-running political discussion show This Week is to end following host Andrew Neil’s decision to step down.
The BBC has confirmed that this series will be its last, and will wind up in the summer.
Fran Unsworth, the BBC director of news, said: “We couldn’t imagine This Week without the inimitable Andrew Neil, one of Britain’s best political interviewers.
.@bbcthisweek will end after its current run, as presenter @afneil steps down from late-night presenting #bbctw
— BBC News Press Team (@BBCNewsPR) February 14, 2019
“After 16 years, Andrew is bowing out of late-night presenting on the show, at the top of his game.”
The 69-year-old broadcaster will continue to host Politics Live on Thursdays, however, Unsworth adding that he will remain ‘at the heart’ of the BBC’s political coverage.
The show first aired in 2003, replacing Neil’s previous political show Dispatch Box, and quickly made a name for itself with its often irreverent tone.
It also made famous the ‘odd couple’ of former Conservative cabinet minister Michael Portillo and Labour MP Diane Abbott, who despite their political opposition were in fact long-standing school friends.
Latterly, the likes of Alan Johnson and Alastair Campbell would appear as guest commentators.
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