Shock on-air announcement by Radio Ulster presenter Lynette Fay - who says she is leaving both her programmes on the station
BBC presenter Lynette Fay announced live on air this afternoon that she is leaving her Radio Ulster afternoon show, and will no longer host the Irish traditional music programme she presented for many years.
The shock move was announced at the end of her hour-long Monday-to-Thursday afternoon slot, where she said she will continue on air until next Thursday.
The presenter said she had “a bit of news” and that September was a time for “renewal” and a “reset” – and said she was leaving BBC Radio Ulster after having given it a lot of thought.
"I love radio, I love people, connecting with people… its simply time to move on, evolve”, she told listeners.
The presenter has been a regular on the station’s schedules for a number of years since a shake-up to its afternoon schedule.
For the past five years, she has hosted the Lynette Fay Show on weekday afternoons (Monday-Thursday) and the weekly Folk Club programme on BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle since 2016.
Her self-titled programme was aimed at a female audience and featured segments on the likes of “false feminism”, “how to raise a feminist son”, and “the causes and consequences of toxic masculinity”.
In a statement issued via the BBC, Ms Fay was quoted as saying her work involved “amplifying local life through the female lens and sparking conversations that have made people sit up and take notice”.
And in a statement of her own on Twitter, she added that her work “normalised talking about women’s health, hearing women’s voices, and platforming brilliant music made by women”.
The Twitter statement added: “I leave on a high and with gratitude. Life has a way of reminding us how fragile it is. I know this is the right time for me to step back from full-time broadcasting.
"A daily show is a big time and energy commitment, and I want to make time to work on all the ideas, plans, schemes and dreams I have been talking about for too long now…
"It is time to move on, evolve and embrace the new opportunities waiting for me and my family.”
Asked for its own comment on her departure, the BBC issued a statement in the name of Emma Dunseith, head of content production, saying: “We understand that Lynette is keen to pursue new opportunities outside the BBC.
"And we’re grateful for her on-air contribution to many different programmes over the years.”