BBC Newsnight editor Esme Wren, who oversaw the programme’s infamous interview with Prince Andrew, has quit the broadcaster to become the new boss of Channel 4 News.
Her departure leaves the BBC with yet another influential senior news position to fill at a time when such appointments are receiving enormous scrutiny from the government.
The BBC is already interviewing for a new head of news, with cabinet ministers privately speculating about which candidates they would prefer for that role. The job of political editor could come up next year if Laura Kuenssberg steps down as expected.
Wren spent three years running Newsnight, giving it an all-women lineup of Emily Maitlis, Kirsty Wark and Emma Barnett. The highlight was her team securing the notorious 2019 interview with Prince Andrew about his relationship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. This hastened the royal’s departure from public life – but also led to Wren appearing on the front cover of the Radio Times, an honour rarely afforded to the editors of news programmes.
She will now replace the outgoing Ben De Pear as boss of Channel 4 News. One of her first tasks will be to oversee the transition to a new lead presenter, who has yet to be recruited, as longstanding host Jon Snow is due to step down after 32 years in the job.
Newsnight has remained well-resourced with its own dedicated editor and team of journalists at a time when many other BBC programmes have lost their own staff due to the ongoing centralisation of the broadcaster’s news teams. This has led to some jealousy from other BBC reporters who have been forced to move jobs, who point out Newsnight currently only attracts about 400,000 viewers a night on BBC Two.
Channel 4 News also has a question mark over its long-term future due to the looming decision on whether to push ahead with the privatisation of the broadcaster. Ministers have suggested they would retain Channel 4’s news and current affairs output in any privatisation, while ITN has an ongoing deal to keep making the programme that would be expensive to break.
However, Channel 4 News’ reputation as a thorn in the side of the government has attracted opprobrium from some ministers, and there are long-term fears about a new private owner finding ways to cut its budget.
Wren said Channel 4 News has led “some of the most significant investigations of our time” and she wanted to find ways to speak “to young and underserved audiences”.