Amol Rajan to leave Radio 4’s Today programme to start own company | Amol Rajan
Presenter Amol Rajan has announced he will leave BBC Radio 4’s Today program and “unleash the entrepreneur in me” by starting a company focusing on the creative economy.
In a surprise announcement, he said he would continue to host the BBC’s University Challenge quiz show and produce the Radical podcast with the company.
But he said he wanted to “jump into the big digital Narnia of the creator economy” where figures on YouTube, TikTok and other digital channels are transforming the media landscape, especially among younger users.
Rajan said he would still be part of the BBC but pointed to one of the company’s most famous fictional works as inspiration for his decision.
“The tubes sounded and it was time to get my coat,” he said. “It might be crazy to leave today. This team is the best of the best: consistently first class and extremely well managed by Owenna Griffiths and Mohit Bakaya. “I will always feel like I’m playing in an editorial version of Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United or Steve Waugh’s Australia.
“But Del Boy was my hero growing up, and now it’s time to unleash my inner entrepreneur. I’m certainly not leaving the BBC, Britain’s noblest cultural institution, whose Reithian spirit is a generous gift to a world in change. I’m going into that world too, and I’m excited.”
This means there is one more empty presenter slot for the BBC’s flagship radio programme, which still shapes the political agenda. Mishal Husain left at the end of 2024 and was replaced by Anna Foster.
Finding Rajan’s replacement poses another challenge for the BBC, given the high profile and scrutiny the job brings.
Rajan’s plan to move into new media follows similar journeys by the likes of Piers Morgan, who has started his own business on YouTube with a series of channels targeting the US.
Rajan said he was “extremely excited” to start his own company. He said: “I will continue to produce Britain’s oldest TV quiz and most exciting podcast. I really couldn’t be prouder of Amol Rajan Interviews, which will stand the test of time. It’s been an unforgettable privilege to travel all over the world (or indeed Essex) to spend so much time with so many icons.”
In his podcast, Rajan interviewed leading new media figures, including Jordan Schwarzenberger, director of Sidemen, Europe’s largest YouTube group.
Last year, Schwarzenberger told the Guardian that the BBC risked becoming the Titanic of the media world and becoming culturally irrelevant to Gen Z unless it adopted a “radical shift” towards reaching younger audiences.
John McAndrew, the company’s head of live and daily news, said: “Amol is a tremendous talent who is a fantastic addition to the Today programme. I want to thank him for everything he has done and I am delighted he will continue presenting for the BBC.”
“Amol has brought a real breath of fresh air to Today and we will continue to evolve the program as we continue to revamp the presenting team over the coming months.”
