Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel join Global in exclusive deal

22 February 2022, 12:56 | Updated: 22 February 2022, 15:51

Top broadcasters Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel are joining Global in an exclusive deal.

The world-class journalists will build on their years of experience to launch a major new podcast as well as presenting a show together on LBC.

Emily said she “couldn’t be more excited” by the move to Global while Jon described the chance to create the new podcast as an “unmissable opportunity".

As well as the podcast the pair will also host a programme on LBC and provide commentary and analysis for lbc.co.uk. Emily and Jon join Global from the BBC, where she hosted Newsnight and he was the corporation’s North America Editor.

The pair also presented the BBC’s Americast podcast, which explored the state of US politics.

The move follows Global’s signing of Andrew Marr, whose LBC show is set to be announced soon.

Emily said: “We are just so delighted to be launching this brand-new podcast – which will build on everything we’ve achieved with Americast over the last few years – and it will find new audiences and a new home with Global.

"I couldn’t be more excited.”

Jon said: “I’m delighted to be joining Global with my great friend and colleague, Emily Maitlis.

"We’ve been blown away by the reception for Americast and are so excited that Global has given us the opportunity to build on this success by creating this innovative news podcast. This is an unmissable opportunity.”

Ashley Tabor-King OBE, Founder & Executive President of Global, added: “Emily and Jon are world-class broadcasters and journalists, and it’s an incredibly exciting time to be welcoming them to the Global family.

"LBC has seen record-breaking growth, there’s tremendous appetite for visualised shows on Global Player, and original journalism by our teams on lbc.co.uk is in millions of news feeds every month.”

James Rea, Director of Broadcasting & Content at Global, said: “I’m thrilled that Emily and Jon are joining Global and our team of exceptional talent.

"They are both brilliant journalists and presenters and I know we’re going to build something hugely exciting together for Global Player and LBC.”

Full details of Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel’s podcast will be announced later in the year.

Global Original podcasts include Full Disclosure with James O'Brien, Hunting Ghislaine with investigative journalist John Sweeney, Rachel Johnson’s Difficult Women as well as chart-topping Originals such as My Therapist Ghosted Me.

Global Player hosts thousands of podcasts, all for free, and Global recently acquired the podcast-hosting platform Captivate. Combined with Global’s marketing infrastructure across its out of home and radio portfolios, the Global Player platform, alongside Captivate, is becoming one of the most natural homes for podcast creators in the UK.

LBC is the UK’s number one commercial talk brand, with 3.2m weekly listeners. It is available across the UK on DAB digital radio, worldwide on Global Player on smart speakers (“play LBC”), iOS or Android device, at LBC.co.uk, in London on 97.3 FM and on Sky TV.