Emma Barnett is set to leave BBC Radio 4's Today programme within weeks, with the announcement coming just a day after a tense on-air interview with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch. The 41-year-old, who has presented the show for two years, will move to front her own current affairs programme, ending a tenure marked by reported friction with co-presenter Nick Robinson. The timing has fuelled speculation about whether the fiery Badenoch exchange was a factor, though BBC sources insist the departure was planned well in advance and is unconnected to the interview.

Barnett and Robinson are said to have gone 90 days without co-presenting a single show, with Barnett previously lodging a complaint describing him as "overbearing" after joining in April 2024; insiders say the matter was resolved with no wrongdoing found. Her health has also been a factor, having taken time off after a hysterectomy linked to endometriosis, which she documented in a BBC Two film. The Badenoch interview itself featured combative questioning on welfare versus defence spending and frequent interruptions, drawing praise from some and criticism from others, while Barnett is expected to continue her podcast and pursue a new programme following "long discussions" with BBC bosses. Her exit follows Amol Rajan's departure from Today just a week earlier.